


Allegiance

by Macx



Series: Borderlines [27]
Category: Magnificent Seven (TV), Tremors: The Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-15
Updated: 2011-05-15
Packaged: 2017-10-19 10:34:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 26,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/199890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Macx/pseuds/Macx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Chris and his team went after a bunch of smugglers they didn't know what they would find. Not only does Chris run into a former Agent, actually his old boss, he also learns a few shocking things about the retired Agent who seems to have a close connection to a young man called Tyler Reed, who just happens to be a Kiowata...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Allegiance

**Author's Note:**

> This whole idea arose out of the stupid remark by Macx that Tyler would be a paint horse if he ever ended up as a Kiowata, while watching an episode of Tremors. As you can see, the bunnies went a-hopping…

 

The planet's official designation was G77-45, but was generally known as Draeger's Point after the man who had spent all his life exploring it. Tomas Winston Drager, explorer, adventurer, and today very much dead after meeting his end as an old man sitting on the porch of his hut somewhere on this planet. G77-45 was sparsely settled, mainly with a few naturalists, some New Life advocates, and those who thought adventure meant the great outdoors where people lived from what they found in nature.

The planet was one of five in a small solar system, surrounded by three moons. While normally not of much interest, is was currently the focal point of an Agency Section 7 operation. Section 7 dealt with Smuggling and Piracy and was part of the Criminal Investigative Division headed by Assistant Director Orrin Travis.

Two ships, the Chimera, an Agency team ship, and a transporter had landed on the wide plains that surrounded a medium-sized ranch house in the middle of nowhere. Long rows of stables were attached to the main building. The corrals were holding unnumbered, large sentient equines known as Kiowata. A Kiowata was an impressive sight, its sheer size remarkable. The two horns just above the eyes made them look even dangerous. They were a picture of beauty in grace – if it hadn't been for the terrified whinnies and nervous prancing.

Regulators and Agency handlers were walking along the corrals, counting heads, making notes and starting with the loading process. It was a controlled chaos altogether, with some members of the Chimera team among them.

Ezra Standish let his eyes wander over the herd. The Kiowata had been found in an illegal breeder’s hidey-hole, just about ready to be clipped. The breeder and his handlers hadn’t treated the animals well. Some of them had been dehydrated and starved, some were showing signs of heavy beating. Ezra's heart clenched when he spotted several pregnant mares, and he was pretty sure they hadn’t chosen their mate on their own.

And not every one was an animal.

Kiowata were a life form indigenous to a world called Prima 2, which was light years from this place. There had always been those who paid an extraordinary large amount of money for the Kiowata, even though they were under protection by an Act of the Joined Governments. Ruthless hunting had decimated the species. Prima 2 was looking after its population of Kiowata and whoever hunted or caught them was prosecuted quite severely.

Years ago someone had developed a process to change human beings into these wonderful creatures, but only for nether purposes – to be sold or killed. Chris and his team had been assigned to find the man responsible. Someone who had a high disregard for human life.

And Chris Larabee had become one of the victims. Thanks to a thief called Ezra Standish he had been spared the fate of being clipped – the removal of the magnificent horns, which erased all will and personality of the Kiowata; or tagged – driving nails into the base of the horn, effectively destroying the spirit of the wonderful animals; or even killed.

Still, even after destroying Guy Royal's operation, trade went on. Kiowata were rare and beautiful, and their horns were ground into chips to be sold in apothecaries as aphrodisiaca.

Ezra knew that there were former humans among the herd they had rescued. It was their job to pick out these humans and turn them back into their original shape. Communication with Kiowata was easy once you had a translating device. The animals were highly intelligent and the former humans could use the translator to 'talk'. All they had to do was calm them down and Ezra knew how hard that was. He personally knew how much the panic could overwhelm one's mind.

<Ezra?>

The voice in his mind was soft and warm, like velvet and honey, and he relaxed back into an invisible embrace that Chris, who had obviously noticed his emotional turmoil over the soul bond they shared, sent over.

<It’s just – I can’t believe there are _still_ breeders out there, still people who force others into Kiowata form, and then cripple them! >

<Shhh, love. It’s okay>

Ezra sighed and forced himself to calm down.

<This one tried to breed with humans, too. There are at least four humans in this herd, Chris, some of them female and pregnant. If they want to have the child…>

Ezra didn’t need to finish his sentence; it was clear to his lover. The women who wanted their child would have to stay Kiowata until the baby was born; it was impossible to change an expecting female.

Warm hands closed on his shoulders, massaging the tension away, and Ezra sighed again, leaning back briefly into the now very solid body. Chris was finally there.

“It’s a shame,” he whispered.

“I know.”

Ezra turned in the embrace of the taller, blond man, whose hazel eyes held compassion and shared pain.

Suddenly there was a commotion among the herd. Someone was pushing his way through a group of handlers, a determined expression on his features and striding toward a corral where several Kiowata were in the process of being handled into the transporter.

"What the…?" Chris started, then Ezra felt recognition flood through the bond.

He looked at the man who caused such commotion. He was tall, slender, his face almost haggard, receding hairline hidden under a cap, and maybe in his mid-forties. Not much older than Chris. Dressed in simple pants and a dark shirt, he didn't look like part of any handling team. The dark eyes held an intense expression and they scanned the two dozen Kiowata for something.

"Chris?" he queried. "You know him?"

"I don't know… he looks like…" Chris had already started walking. "Burt?" he called.

The tall man turned halfway, sharp brown eyes regarding Chris with surprise.

“Larabee?”

“What the hell… ? Gummer, is that you?”

“Affirmative.”

The man was radiating wariness, but seemed to trust Chris to a degree. Still, the almost haunted expression in his eyes was something that set Ezra on alert. Something was wrong with him and it wasn't just a few sleepless nights.

“Chris Larabee. Haven’t heard from you in a while.”

“Same here, Burt. Where have you been? There were rumors…”

“Of course there were rumors. What did you expect when one leaves this sudden?”

<Chris?>

<It’s okay, Ezra. I know him>

<Figured. Who is he?>

<Burt Gummer. When I joined the Agency he was my boss>

<Oh?> Ezra knew there was a story behind that single line, and that he would get to hear that story in time, so he just leaned back and listened.

“Burt, this is Ezra Standish, my – partner.”

Gummer didn’t hold out his hand and Ezra hadn’t really expected him to. For the first time he noticed that the man was wearing gloves. They simply nodded at each other.

“Partner?” Gummer asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Long story. What are you doing here, Burt?"

A high-pitched, terrified whinny cut the air before Gummer could answer. The three men turned to the source of the disturbance and Ezra discovered several handlers trying to guide a obviously panicking Kiowata out of the corral and toward the ship. At the same time the expression in those cool brown eyes changed, concern clearly showing in Gummer's face.

And then Burt simply started to walk over there, almost running.

"Burt?" Chris called, following.

Gummer ignored him, fighting past a handler who was trying to stop him.

"Burt!" Larabee snapped and grabbed the other man's arm, whirling him around. "What are you doing? This is an Agency operation and…"

He stopped, hazel eyes boring into brown ones that were awash with emotions. 

The Kiowata screamed in terror and Burt flinched, tearing his arm out of Chris's grasp, stumbling away. Ezra saw the grimace of pain and something else, then the thin lips moved. He turned to look at the panicking animal, whispering softly.

“Come on, let me in. It’s okay, just … no, don’t do … “

Again, the Kiowata reared, throwing off a handler who had managed to get a rope around its neck. It was a Pinto or paint. Brown and white, the two sharp horns as colored as its coat, whinnying and kicking with all it was worth, fought against the men who were trying to hold it down. The large animal used everything it got, and Ezra could see it wasn’t in a good shape. Blood was trickling down its flanks where it had been beaten by the rogue handlers who had worked with the breeder, wounds reopened by its fight, ribs sticking through the skin clearly indicating it had been starved; obviously in an effort to break it. And despite its state there was still fire in it.

And then it hit him.

“Stop it! At once!” he yelled.

“Mr. Standish… “ the handler closest to him started.

“I said stop! Leave him alone!”

<Ezra?>

<Trust me Chris!>

Larabee simply stepped forward and pulled the men fighting with the terrified Kiowata off the ropes.

"Sir…" another protested.

"Leave," Chris only said. "We'll handle this."

They didn't object to the orders of an Agency commander and dropped the ropes.

Gummer approached the trembling Kiowata, then pulled off his gloves and touched the sweaty coat.

 

 

Burt would have cried if his emotions weren't so caught up by anger and hatred towards those who had done this to Tyler. He felt the tremors racing through the beautiful Kiowata, heard the mind whimper in so much pain it took his breath away. His hands glided over the uninjured side of the paint, holding back on the bile wanting to rise inside him.

Tyler had been beaten, whipped and starved. His body was too weak to withstand any more mistreatment, and right now he was trying to run even though he was too exhausted to get more than a few steps.

"What have they done to you?" he whispered.

The Kiowata whimpered, trying to step away as a Regulator came closer. Burt was about to snarl something at him when Ezra intervened, neatly placing himself between the two. Tyler's mind was a confused mess and he gently soothed it, then took the lead and tried to get his partner over to the corral. Away from the transport, away from the confining space. Tyler stumbled, but he followed – until his legs truly gave out. He was just inside the corral when he lay down, a whimper escaping from the tortured body.

Burt was aware of the spectators he had, of the Regulators and Agency handlers who wanted to help Tyler, but right now the frightened Kiowata wouldn't let anyone close.

"Mr. Gummer?"

The soft voice reached his ears and he looked up at the man Chris Larabee had introduced as his partner. Compassionate green eyes met his.

"He needs help. I know how he feels," Ezra went on. "Chris and I… we went through the same."

Burt's eyes bore into the other man's, searching for the truth.

"Mr. Gummer, I'm Borderline," Ezra said flat-out, completely serious. "Among other things, I can shape-change into a Kiowata form, so can Chris. Neither one of us wants to harm him…"

"Burt?" Chris's voice was soothing and calm. "Let us help."

And he did.

Reluctantly, but he did. Burt felt too tired to fight any more. Everything was overwhelming now that he had found Tyler, had touched the mind that had been separated from his, and the connection between them, while still weak, was firmer than ever before. He suppressed a shiver, concentrating on Tyler to keep from keeling over, from giving in to oblivion.

Using his abilities to keep his frightened partner calm, he let the vet on site take a look at the injured Kiowata, always close by, never losing his connection.

It was his life-line.

 

* * *

 

Night had fallen and with it some peace had settled over the encampment. The transporter was still there and Captain Wally Davis had decided to lift off come dawn. Handlers were taking care of the frightened Kiowata, trying to talk to those who had been human once, determining their state of mind. Only one was separate from the group. Tyler had been left in the corral, Dr. Julia McCormack, their vet, coming by in intervals to check on him. Burt had refused to sleep aboard the transporter or in the small building the breeder's men had used.

In their own room in the building, Chris and Ezra lay together, both still awake.

<Chris?>

<Hm?>

Ezra drew long lazy circles over his lover’s chest.

<What is it with Gummer?>

Chris sighed. <He was my superior when I joined the Agency. He taught me everything I know. Buck was on his team, too, and we were damn successful>

Ezra smiled at the pride in his partner's voice.

<He had this uncanny ability to know when someone was lying. Gave us a run for our money> Chris chuckled. <We couldn't figure it out. And there was his ability to find missing persons; but I think it went far deeper than that. And then…>

<What happened?> Ezra asked quietly. He could read his lover easily, and right at the moment Chris was radiating uneasiness.

<Our last assignment together. We went undercover, but we were lacking vital information. We weren’t told everything, so we ran into it unprepared. Burt was always someone to step into the line of fire for his men, and that time wasn’t any different. He saved my life, you know…>

<But it cost him his?>

<In a way. He went missing, and when we found him after a week, he wasn’t the same man anymore. He was… mentally unstable, almost psychotic. It was…>

Chris stopped, and the emotions he sent were clear. It had been hard for him to have seen his superior, even friend the way he had.

<We never got to know what exactly had happened that one week, but as far as rumors went he must have been tortured, and bad. After that he … he never really recovered. Several months later he left>

Ezra was silent, still drawing lazy circled on the smooth skin. <Chris, back then – did he touch people?>

<Now that you ask, no he didn’t, not without gloves. Why?>

<That explains it. Chris, he’s Borderline, but no ordinary one. I think he’s a telepath>

Ezra felt Chris stiffen as the true meaning of that sunk in. Telepaths were the rarest form of Borderlines, and usually after some time they simply went insane, not able to take the onslaught of other people’s thoughts and emotions anymore. Scientists hadn’t been able to explain why telepaths weren’t able to control their ability after some time anymore.

<Are you sure?>

<No, but it's a good guess> Ezra buried into the warm embrace. <Back when I still worked with Maude… we ran into a telepath. He was younger than me but already going insane from all the voices in his head. He was psychotic, schizophrenic, took drugs to suppress his ability…> Ezra stopped and Chris stroked over his arm and side. <Telepaths… they have shields, but they can't maintain them> he finally went on. <After a while they erode>

<Holy…> Chris murmured. <But he’s still alive! And sane… How…?>

<He’s bonded, Chris. Maybe… maybe the bond…?>

<You sure about the bond?>

Ezra smiled. <Yes. I'm no expert, but all the signs are there>

<How?>

<Ask him> Ezra teased.

Chris chuckled. <You don't know Burt. Questions never get answers if he doesn't like them>

Green eyes regarded him seriously. <This time he has to like them because otherwise he won't get Tyler back. His partner is a Kiowata at the moment and this Kiowata is very much reduced to instinct>

 

* * *

 

Chris sat with his back against the shelter, Ezra at his side but not touching, and looked at his old-time friend and boss. He didn't really look much older than the last time he had seen him. Maybe his hair was dabbled with more gray, but his face was smooth, sun-tanned and the eyes clear of the haunting memories of the past.

The transporter had left this morning. Captain Davis had left them with enough food and water to last a month and if all went well, the Chimera would be here by tomorrow. They had medical supplies and firm instructions to treat Tyler's wounds from the vet. Knowing Burt, he would follow them by the letter.

"What happened, Burt?" Chris simply asked.

Gummer gazed at the paint Kiowata grazing not far away. "I made a mistake."

Sandy eyebrows rose in a silent question.

"When I left the Agency I swore never to come back, Chris. The mistake was that I did."

"Why?"

Burt sighed deeply, eyes never wavering from the paint.

<The bond> Ezra whispered again. <Tightening quickly>

<You know what that implies> Chris answered.

<Of course. The question is, is your friend even aware of it happening that quickly?>

"Because of the Kiowata, Chris. The Agency approached me, asked if I would help them find the hiding place of the rumored Kiowata breeder."

"You're no longer an active Agent, Burt," Chris reminded him.

"That doesn't stop them from reassigning you." Anger spoke from the few words, but it was quickly smothered. "But I also couldn't just stand by and watch more of those beautiful animals being slaughtered… clipped and tagged and sold as pets. So I agreed."

"And Tyler?" Chris prodded carefully.

"We're partners. He knows a lot about Kiowata," Burt murmured. "More than anyone I know. He was rather insistent to come along and I agreed. It was another mistake."

Ezra suddenly tilted his head. <Chris…> he started ominously.

<What is it?>

Before Ezra could answer, Burt's eyes fell on the paint. "We went in undercover. Tyler as a Kiowata, me as a handler."

Chris's mouth dropped open. "They changed him?" he blurted, shocked.

"Yes."

And I let them, was the silent addition.

<I never heard of any part of the Agency using the machines to send Agents in undercover!> Chris hissed.

<Now we know why this was such a secret operation….>

"Who reassigned you?"

"Jack McBain."

Chris's features tightened. "I know him."

That said it all. It also explained why a civilian had been part of the operation. McBain would use anyone and anything to get what he wanted, in this a herd of Kiowata and an illegal breeder.

"He didn't coordinate his actions with Travis," Larabee went on. "We didn't know there was an undercover team out there, Burt. We didn't know it was you."

Gummer smiled humorlessly. "Good old times, hm?"

Chris laughed softly, darkly. "Yeah."

Dark eyes strayed to Tyler again and the features softened slightly. "We got into the organization, but our cover was blown," Burt went on, voice far away. "I got the special treatment… they put me through the machine. Tyler, since he was already Kiowata, was separated from me. He was still himself, he knew who he was -- unlike me. I only came back the moment one of your Regulator teams changed me back. By then the breeder and his men had shipped their last batch off, including Tyler."

"Which we intercepted," Ezra said quietly.

A nod. "It took me over a week to find Tyler."

There was a flash of dark memories in Burt's eyes and Ezra leaned forward. "Mr. Gummer?"

Brown eyes met green ones.

"Are you aware of the fact you and Tyler have started to bond?"

And the brown eyes hardened.

<And the answer is yes> Ezra breathed along their soul bond.

<Which implies he knows about bonds in general…>

<Which also implies…> Ezra stopped, looking at Burt. "You are," he said out loud. "Very much so. That also implies that one of you is not human."

And Burt's features froze up.

<Tyler> Chris whispered.

<Hija?> Ezra mused.

The Hija were a wide-spread, mostly nomadic people who possessed the ability to form soul bonds. They were humanoid in appearance, but with no links to Earth, and while they represented a substantial population within the Joined Governments they couldn't be fixed to one planet of origin. Using varying degrees of technology, some even traveling through space, they kept out of political matters, except to insure that their home worlds were safe from outsiders. One of their team, Vin, had had a soul partner once who had been Hija, of the Kray Clan on Myrrh, and they had been bonded before Chanu had died so suddenly. If Tyler was of a Hija clan, too…

"Burt we know about soul bonds," Chris said calmly. "Intimately."

Gummer shot them a narrow-eyed look.

"We're bonded," Ezra added, smiling.

That got them open amazement and shock. Burt stared at Chris as if he tried to determine the amount of truth in that statement.

Burt jumped to his feet, startling the Kiowata, which whinnied nervously, prancing where he stood. Gummer inhaled sharply, then screwed his eyes shut.

"Burt, what happened to you?" Larabee asked as he came to his feet, too.

"Nothing!"

"You're Borderline, Mr. Gummer," Ezra told him firmly, joining his lover. "And from the feel of things, as well as your behavior, right down to the gloves, you're a telepath."

Brown eyes flared with emotions, then Burt almost physically drew back.

Chris raised his hands in a calming, appeasing gesture. "You're safe here, Burt. Both of you. We're not going to tell anyone."

"Oh really?" came the sarcastic reply. "As if the Agency could let go of a fully telepathic Agent!"

"They can because they don't know you are." Ezra smiled. "You left the Agency because of a psychological problem and retired. Nothing more, nothing less."

Brows dipped deeper. "Right," he growled. "And you two have no problems whatsoever with a mind-reader among you."

"Nope, none at all," the thief stated openly.

"Trust us," Chris added. When Burt's stance didn't change he went on, "Ezra and I are both Borderline, Burt. I never was before I met Ezra. It's a long story and I'll tell you if you want to know, but right now this is about you and Tyler. He's Hija?"

A sharp nod. "Par Clan. They live on Perfection, a small backwater planet I moved to after I left the service."

"Protected planet," Ezra immediately supplied.

Another nod. "Because of the Kiowata and because of the Graboid worms. The Par live in a symbiotic relationship with the Kiowata and they agreed to letting me live there."

"You left because of the telepathy? And moved to a planet with people?"

Burt smiled sadly. "Yes, I did. The last assignment… let's just say things happened and I was triggered. I barely made it out alive, Chris. That was enough for me to quit. Especially since I couldn't keep my developing abilities under control any more."

<He's had them before> Ezra sent. <You were right that he had a sixth sense, Chris>

"Perfection was so remote, it sounded just perfect. The Par, being the indigenous species along with the worms and the Kiowata, had a say in whether or not I could settle. I don't know why, but they let me."

"It's how you met Tyler?"

"Affirmative, but not right away. The Par are nomadic and there are several groups of them on this planet. They and the Kiowata who freely choose to live among them cross the large deserts or the mountains at intervals. Some came by my place now and then. One day, he was among one group. That was about eight months before the assignment."

Again the brown eyes strayed to the paint, who had come closer. Attentive gray eyes watched them, but the Kiowata was still running too much on instinct. Tyler was there, inside the intelligent mind, but not yet in control.

<The started to bond right away> Ezra murmured, watching them.

<I doubt he was aware of it>

<Yes>

"I could talk to the Par without having these overwhelming voices in my mind," Burt went on softly. "I didn't touch them without protection, but I didn't care. Tyler came by more and more often. He taught me about his people, about their relationship to the Kiowata, and the Graboids."

"And you could touch him," Ezra supplied gently.

It earned him a sharp look, which he met calmly.

"You heard about the bond from the Par, too?" Chris queried.

"Yes. I realized what was happening and I couldn't stop it. In a way I wanted it to happen."

 

 

Burt looked at the two men, one which he knew from his Agency past, the other a total stranger to him, though he picked up things from the younger man that told him he had more than just shape-changing abilities. Then there was the fact that he was partnered with Chris Larabee. Two Borderlines -- bonded.

Looking at his own partner, Burt felt himself reach out to the Kiowata, running soothing touches over the instinctual mind. Tyler reacted to him, snorting softly, even though the human was still a backseat driver in the Kiowata mind. Yes, he had been aware of the connection between the two of them. There was no missing the warmth that had suddenly resided within him whenever the younger man had been at his home on Perfection. As a telepath he had known back then how another person felt to him, but the Par were such disciplined minds, it had been easy to be around them.

And Tyler… he had simply slipped past all his barriers within hours of meeting him. Passing under the radar, so to speak, and sliding into an empty spot Burt hadn't known he possessed.

When he had felt the first signs of the bond, he hadn't fought it. Why fight anyway? It felt so natural, so normal, he had simply accepted it – unaware that it might go deeper.

Maybe Tyler's decision to stay with him while his clan traveled on should have been a first indicator, but as before, it had felt so right. So he had stayed, teaching Burt about the Kiowata and they had spent days riding, watching Graboids, studying the impressive subterranean predators, and speculating about their origin since no other life form on Perfection seemed to be related to the blind but highly sound sensitive creatures.

Maybe the looks Burt had gotten from the Par clan should have told him even more. They were used to soul bonds and saw nothing wrong in an outsider joining with one of theirs. Burt had never known just how deeply such a bond ran, he had simply thought that this was it. Tyler's background presence; nothing more.

God, he had been so wrong.

A soft snort drew him out of his reverie and he discovered that Tyler had come carefully closer, unsure of Ezra and Chris with the human he knew.

Burt slowly got to his feet, ignoring the others, and he approached the paint. Gray eyes watched him attentively, but there was wariness lurking in the background, and he reached out, soothing the large equine.

Tyler crossed the last few feet and snorted softly.

"You're beautiful," Burt murmured, stroking the uninjured skin, letting the warmth of his touch suffuse into the tortured mind, calming the Kiowata. "Very beautiful."

Tyler's patterns were graceful and clear defined, a dark brown and white. The Kiowata's horns looked almost like art work, the white streaking up with the brown, twisting and twirling like a chocolate swirl. The mane was brown and white, too. All four legs were white up to the knees, then smoothly changed into brown.

Tyler snorted softly, then nuzzled his hair in a gesture of acceptance. Burt was part of his herd, a recognized member. He smiled and stroked across one strong jaw.

"You'll be okay again. I promise."

 

 

Chris and Ezra watched the tender display, and Chris reached for his lover through the bond, holding him close.

<Amazing> he murmured.

<What? That they're like us?> Ezra asked.

<Yes. What are the chances of finding what you were looking for on some backwater planet?>

Ezra laughed softly and leaned closer. <Like us?> he teased.

Chris turned his head and looked into the sparkling green eyes. Like them. So much like them. He had found exactly what and who he had needed on BP-379, under the most unlikeliest of situations. Burt in turn had fled from civilization to find his peace, finding Tyler as well.

Chris gently rubbed a hand over Ezra's thigh as they sat together, watching Burt and Tyler, how gently Gummer treated the injured Kiowata. His whole concentration was focused on the mistreated paint, his ungloved hands running gently over the brown and white fur.

 

* * *

 

Chris had spent a lot of time with Burt, catching up on old times, updating Burt on all the occurrences inside the Agency as well as with his own life while Gummer had been gone. They sat together at the small fire Burt had got going, drinking coffee, eating, talking. Ezra kept physically away and only retreated from the bond when he wanted to give Chris some privacy. Chris appreciated the gesture.

"Heather left not much after the last assignment," Burt murmured, staring into the fire. "She couldn't take it."

"Sorry to hear that."

A shrug. "We parted while we still felt something positive for the other, not spitting fire. It wouldn't have worked anyway. I couldn't touch anyone and her presence alone was too overwhelming." Empathic brown eyes looked at the blond man over the flames.

Chris nodded. "I think I understand."

He told his former supervisor about Sara and his son Adam, about their deaths, about the pain that had followed. Burt listened silently, his face showing what he felt, and Chris sensed Ezra pulling back but he caught him, holding him tightly.

Ezra hesitated a second, then the smooth presence stayed, wrapping itself around Chris in a gesture of support.

"You found Ezra," Burt remarked.

"Yes. Well, he found me, so to speak. He stole me…" At the raised eyebrows Chris related the whole story to Gummer, who listened attentively. "He's what I missed, Burt. I know what it feels like for you and it's like nothing you've ever experienced, right?"

The narrow face was unreadable, then Burt looked at the fire again.

"For me," Chris went on, "it's more than I ever dared to have. It's my whole life, my soul, and Ezra is an inseparable part of me. A soul bond is more than anything you can have with any other partner, Burt."

"I know."

"And it's scary," Larabee added.

Ezra embraced him, the sensation so physical Chris would have sworn the other man was right behind him. A pair of soft lips pressed against his neck in a loving gesture.

"I can't lose him, Chris," Burt murmured, almost as if talking to himself.

"You won't."

It was a promise and Chris was intent on keeping it.

 

* * *

 

<Tyler> Burt whispered through the bond, always calling the Kiowata by his given name. <I know you're in there, hiding. I know you hurt. Come back>

The emotions touching his mind were that of the equine currently in control, but there were glimpses of his partner now and then and they gave him hope.

<I need you, Tyler> he murmured, stroking over the soft coat.

He was nuzzled gently and Tyler snorted, disturbing his hair.

<I need you to be my sanity, my catalyst, my buffer… everything. I didn't know what you were for me until I felt the bond thin out and nearly break. Tyler?>

He gently touched the attentive mind, reading so much in there that was his partner and friend, but still not brave enough to come out into the open. So he talked; more than he ever would out loud. The bond made it so easy.

<Do you even know how much you mean to me? I'm a telepath, Tyler. I never told you, but I think you know it deep down inside. It nearly drove me insane to have all those voices in my head after my shields were gone. I had to go. I ran. And I found you on some backwater planet>

Burt leaned more into the large equine, feeling the warmth underneath the brown and white pattern.

<The Par were so controlled, so easy to be around with, but I still felt them. Then you came. You buffered it all, you shielded me from the moment we met, and I didn't even realize it. Not until I touched you without those gloves>

Tyler snorted softly, the velvety lips of the Kiowata nibbling at his skin. Burt smiled and rubbed one square jaw.

<I need you and this bond, Tyler> he confessed. <I need you>

 

* * *

 

It took three days of constant coaxing and gentle touches for Tyler to come to the forefront again, take control of the Kiowata body. Burt never ventured far from the corral, slept in the shelter, and Chris and Ezra were always around.

Chris had been in contact with Buck and Vin, telling them what had happened, leaving out a few details, but he suspected the two men knew there was more to the story. Buck was as surprised as Larabee had been to hear about their old team leader, and Chris had warned him about Burt's Borderline status. He didn't want Buck to overwhelm Gummer and Wilmington swore to take his cues from Burt.

Chris gave the same story to Travis, who didn't so much as raise an eyebrow and simply told them to make sure to wrap up any loose ends. The last machine would stay until Tyler was back in human form.

The Chimera landed shortly after Chris had made the call and only then did he tell them about the soul bond between the two men. It had drawn some raised eyebrows and Nathan immediately took charge of caring for Tyler, whose wounds were healing slowly. The change back into human form would probably reopen some of them. Ezra knew that from experience.

Tyler had been almost docile, just a bit wary of the new arrivals. With Burt close, he had suffered through Nathan's examinations. The translator made it easy for Jackson to talk to the Kiowata, though sometimes Tyler reacted a lot like his equine form suggested. As much as he was the driver again, sometimes the instinct was stronger than reason.

The team as such held back, keeping from crowding Burt and Tyler, and Chris was thankful for it. The last thing he needed was Burt breaking down from the strain of so many people around the telepath. Tyler's presence was a living shield for him, but the other man was too caught in his own pain and terror to be an active shield at that.

Burt touched the soft fur of Tyler's nose, rubbing it in a gentle pattern, feeling the presence of the other respond to his nearness. A smile crossed his lips and he reached out, caressing the trembling mind, coaxing it closer.

<I know you can hear me, Tyler. And I know you feel the pain. Your body is still injured. But you have to come back. We need to return you to your human form>

He had been talking and touching the other ceaselessly. He spent all day and all night with the frightened Kiowata, and he had had success. Tyler let him touch him, had let Nathan close, had eaten. His injuries were severe, would probably leave scars, and Burt knew they were extremely painful, but Tyler had to trust in him and himself that it was safe. He had to take control, push the instinctual Kiowata back.

<Burt…>

It was the first time he heard the weak mind-voice and Burt latched onto it, holding the feeble contact.

<Tyler. I'm here>

<Hurts>

Tyler was unaccustomed to this form of communication, but he instinctively chose it.

<I know. I can't make it go away, but I can help you change into your human form again>

<The machine…>

And the panic started as Tyler thought of the small room, the machine that would turn him back.

Small rooms.

Claustrophobia set in.

Small rooms. Pain. People beating him.

<Shhhh> Burt whispered, still holding on. <Shhhh. I'm here and I'll be there>

<Can't… Burt, I can't!>

The Kiowata whinnied, throwing back his head, and Burt came close to getting cut by the sharp horns. He stood his ground, though. He looked into the frightened eyes and he sent out calmness.

<Tyler. I'll be there.>

<Can't…> came the whimpered reply.

<You can. You're strong. One of the strongest men I know. Please…>

The Kiowata danced nervously, ears flicking back and forth. He snorted, unsure.

<Tyler…>

Emotions flooded Burt. Trust. Pain. Need. Hurt. Want. Love. Agony.

Love.

He held onto that.

<I'll be there>

<Really?>

<I promise. You won't be alone>

Tyler came carefully closer and suddenly his soft nose pressed against Burt's face. Burt wrapped his arms around the painted head, holding the other close.

<Trust you> Tyler whispered.

 

* * *

 

"We got word from Davis," Vin reported as they stood together outside the house where Ezra and Chris still had their room in. "The herd's safe. Two have already been changed back, but the two women want their children to be born, even though they were forced to have them. I think one will stay with her mate."

Burt listened to the exchange while watching Tyler, who was grazing. The corral was by now open, giving the Kiowata the chance to leave should he wish to, but Tyler mostly hung around the building anyway. He wasn't strong enough to run long distances and Burt's presence kept him anchored to the vicinity.

"Sary?"

Vin looked at he approaching paint. The question had come from the translator. Tyler had made progress in leaps, by now able to communicate clearly. Memories had returned, not all of them good, but he could give Chris all the necessary information on the rogue breeder, as well as the handlers he had employed. Soon the case would be closed; not a minute too soon.

"Yes," he answered. "She and one of the Kiowata seem to have hit it off."

Tyler snorted, slightly amused. "He's the father of her child, too."

"Where will the others end up?" Burt asked, automatically reaching for Tyler and scratching him gently.

"P14-69," Chris answered. At Gummer's raised eyebrows he added, "Ezra's planet."

Burt shot the other man a quizzical look. Ezra chuckled.

"Chris and I own the small planet. It's more than just backwater, it's completely out of the immediate space routes. A herd of Kiowata is already there and we have a caretaker to keep an eye on things."

"The leader of the rescued herd agreed," Vin added. "The planet's large enough that the two herds won't run across each other every other day. Sary's going there, too."

Burt nodded slowly, apparently satisfied with the answer. He never lost contact of Tyler, who was by now standing intimately close to his partner. Tyler nuzzled his neck and the former Agent reached up to pet the equine so playfully rearranging his collar.

Vin and Chris walked off after a nod to Burt, giving them some space. Ezra followed, smiling to himself at the obvious signs of affection.

"You think he's ready to change?" Vin asked quietly.

Chris sucked on his lower lip. "I don't know. Tyler's afraid of small spaces. Highly claustrophobic. We can't force him into the machine without hurting him."

"I know."

"He wants to be human again," Ezra said quietly, "but he's afraid of what might happen in that enclosed space."

"So we wait?" Vin asked calmly.

No one was in a hurry and Travis had given them time, but even that time would some day be up.

"For now, yes," Chris decided.

 

* * *

 

It was twenty-four hours later that Burt walked up to Chris and told him that while Tyler wanted to change, the fear was keeping him from making the last step – into the machine.

"I need to be with him," Burt said simply, looking challengingly at Chris, daring him to object.

"I understand that, Burt, but you can't go into the machine with him. Maybe you can help him with the bond…?"

Ezra shook his head. "It's too new. It won't be enough. But," he went on, "you're a telepath, Mr. Gummer. That might be an option."

The narrow features went blank, the expression freezing up.

"No," he finally answered truthfully.

Ezra's eyebrows shot up. "My understanding of your abilities is that you can reach into minds… or am I wrong?"

"Yes and no," Burt explained slowly, wariness in his whole body language. "I can reach into Tyler's mind, I might be able to calm him, but… well…," he suddenly stuttered, evading the other men's eyes. "It might not be enough."

Chris shot him a surprised look while Ezra just tilted his head.

"You're an empath," Burt turned to Ezra. "You know about emotions and their effect on someone's mind."

"Yes. But I'm latent. I have no active abilities."

Burt smiled sardonically. "Count your blessings, Mr. Standish. For me, the mind is a whirlpool I can drown in. Going with Tyler, feeling his sure to arise panic and bad memories, I… might get lost. I'd need some kind of anchor."

"Someone in specific?"

Burt shrugged. "I don't know. I never did this before. I don't even know if it'll work. I only know that I'm more aware of Tyler's mind than anyone else's. I think I can reach him because of the bond. It's my guideline."

Chris looked thoughtful. "You're aware of the risk you'd take?"

Gummer nodded. "Yes."

"Maybe I could be of help," Ezra offered. "Another Borderline who has similar abilities to a telepath."

<What?> Chris shouted through the bond. <Are you nuts?>

<No, reasonable, Chris. Tyler needs help, which is Burt. Burt needs help, which could be me>

Gummer's eyebrows rose and he crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Are you even aware of what a telepath is, Mr. Standish?"

Ezra gave him a mild frown. "Of course."

Now the eyebrows dipped and the dark eyes narrowed.

"And I'm also aware of the trust you'd have to put in me," the thief added.

Burt would rely on him to find his way back into his own mind should he get lost while aiding Tyler, and if Ezra couldn't be trusted…

"And I'm willing to let you touch me, read me, if that would ease your mind."

<Ezra!>

<It's okay, Chris>

<It's not!>

"You know touching me won't hurt you, Mr. Gummer."

<You have no idea what're doing, Ez!>

<Calm down, Chris. I know what I'm doing>

<He's a telepath!>

<Of course>

<He… he could… Have you ever met a telepath who hasn't gone insane?!>

Ezra shot him a sharp look. <I never met a telepath before, Christopher Larabee. And this man is your friend, who is also bonded to another man, who is currently in need of help>

If Burt was aware of the silent exchange, he didn't comment on it, though his slightly raised eyebrows said enough. It wasn't like Chris could hide the emotions flashing over his face.

<Ezra, please…> Chris begged.

<No, Chris. I'm going to help him if he lets me>

Larabee shot him an evil look. <Stubborn ass>

<Look who's talking>

Ezra was more than aware of what he was willing to do. When a telepath touched another man, the whole life of this person flashed through the receptive mind, overwhelming senses, inducing pain and disorientation. It was why most of them ended up insane or killed themselves. They rarely went out among people and there were no known full telepaths out there. Most them were in hiding or dead.

"Why are you doing this?" Burt demanded.

"Because we want to help you. You and Tyler. He can't go on without you; he's scared. But he has to change back. You both need each other," Ezra said, voice intense. "You're bonded."

Burt swallowed, evading the knowing green eyes. Chris stepped forward to join his lover and partner, briefly touching him.

<Are you sure?>

<Yes. He can't hurt me>

<He can>

<I meant he won't>

Chris sighed softly and wrapped his presence around his lover's.

<I'll be fine, love> Ezra murmured, leaning into the contact.

All the time, the two men showed no sign of what was going on through the bond, their eyes on Burt.

Finally Burt's narrow shoulders squared. "I accept," was all he said, determination in his voice and whole body language.

Ezra nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Gummer."

"When?"

"As soon as you want it to happen."

 

* * *

 

They had chosen an empty room, just the two of them. Burt looked clearly unwell with the whole situation, but Ezra radiated calmness. He knew what he was getting into, even though he had never met a telepath before. Burt Gummer was unique.

"Mr. Gummer?" he said softly, holding out his hand.

Burt gazed at it, then slowly pulled off his protective gloves. He seemed hesitant, unsure, and Ezra let his mental shields fall, all except the ones guarding the bond. Chris didn't have to become involved in this and it would overwhelm Burt to feel two minds where only one was expected.

Strong, slender fingers wrapped around his hands. Ezra felt the powerful presence touch him, carefully and gently, but still incredibly strong. Burt Gummer had been a telepath for close to ten years. Ten years with no real control over these powers until a year ago he had met Tyler Reed.

Bright gray eyes, a wide, ready smile, an incredible enthusiasm, and such openness that it had swamped Burt.

Instant connection.

Taking a liking to the younger man who didn't care who or what Burt was.

Barriers fell, distances shrank, and suddenly Tyler was an integral part of Burt's life.

Relying on him.

Needing him.

Trusting him.

And the gentle presence in the back of his mind that hadn't been there before. A soft hum that announced a connection growing into a bond.

Ezra had to smile at the memories, saw the two men out in the desert, among the Kiowata, even around the predatory Graboids. He understood the symbiotic relationship the creatures had with the Par. The Kiowata chose whether or not to live with them, let the nomads ride them or pull a cart. Sometimes, such relationships were for life, sometimes only for a short while. Tyler had a knack for Kiowata, drawing them to him, a trusted person in their eyes. They were save among the Par clan when they traveled since the Graboids didn't attack the nomads. Intelligent in their own rights, the worms accepted the clan as part of the desert. Do not touch. Kiowata traveling with the clan were protected. Kiowata found wandering alone were prey.

The relationship between Tyler and Burt had developed so much that the younger man had decided to come and live with Gummer. It was such a natural decision, neither of them doubted it was right. There had never been any intentions behind that move, but Ezra suddenly felt the silent yearning inside Burt. Gummer loved Tyler. Not just as a friend, but as something else. He wanted more, but he was holding back.

And then the warm emotions were suddenly destroyed by the sharp memories of another time. Working for the Agency, secret operations, all the pain and anger… and the fateful last one that had triggered Burt's Borderline abilities completely. He felt the pain of the torture the man had been suffering through, the slow eradication of all his shields until they were completely destroyed. Ezra was witness to the struggle, the need to stay sane, not to give in and take the easy way out. Burt Gummer was a fighter, a man with an incredible willpower, who finished the job he had been sent to do, and then quit.

Fleeing to Perfection.

Where he had finally found some measure of peace to recuperate, to heal his scarred mind.

And he discovered that the man had been married once. Heather. His wife. She had left him when the strain had become too much on their marriage, when Burt had pulled back because of his developing abilities.

So many demons.

One sane thought.

Tyler Reed.

Ezra smiled, feeling the warmth again. Yes, this man had fallen for the younger man and he was determined to help them.

And then something else brushed past him. Something very recent – and he almost gasped in surprise. Burt Gummer had been aware of the silent exchange going on between him and Chris when they had discussed helping Burt. Well, argued was more like it. He had felt Chris's fear, his reservations which stemmed from more worry about Ezra and what Burt might do to his lover and soul partner throughout the connection, and he had felt Ezra's determination to help. Gummer understood it all, felt no anger toward his former subordinate, and Ezra was relieved to see that no bad feelings remained. Burt knew exactly what kind of danger this contact posed.

And that Ezra voluntarily risked it all for him and Tyler.

 

 

The moment he touched Ezra with his ungloved hand, Burt steeled himself against the spiking pain and instant pressure on his mind he associated with human contact. It didn't happen.

Green eyes smiled at him, the smaller hand in his holding on tight. The empath relaxed under his sudden presence and Burt couldn't help but gasp silently at the strong, controlled mind he touched. He felt the shadow in the background that had to be Chris, an ever-present guardian and bonded to Ezra Standish, and he smiled slightly.

Then he sank into the depths of the other man's mind, going past the natural barriers Ezra possessed, and he looked around.

Images passed by, knowledge was shared, and he was shocked and surprised at what was revealed.

Ezra's past, the painful, haunted years he spent with Maude, the woman who had found him after his parents had abandoned him because he was Borderline. The dejection at being a Borderline, unwanted, bottom rung, only to be used. Leaving when he had the chance, honing his talents as a thief and con man, stealing, cheating and hacking for a price. Then the fateful day he had been caught and turned into a Kiowata.

Meeting Chris.

Burt was amazed to witness the events on BP-379, becoming soul partners, trusting each other with their lives, and finally Ezra joining the Agency. Accepted by the Chimera team, becoming a vital part of their little community, trusted and needed. He saw Ezra under the pressure of undercover assignments, was there when Chris was injured and Ezra close to losing his mind. He cringed at the memory of the drug that had wiped out all of Ezra's higher functions, driving Chris to almost kill himself in desperation, and he felt the warmth and joy of the two men as they loved each other.

Taking the soul bond to a new level, exploring what both men wanted.

Burt felt the understanding from the other man, the knowledge that there was more to him and Tyler, that he needed to confront that part of himself.

Acceptance of the fact. No disgust of either his abilities or his feelings.

Ezra had made his peace with his Borderline status. He didn't see himself as a second class being any more; he was Chris Larabee's bonded. He was Ezra Standish.

And then he was suddenly back in his own mind, still staring at the green eyes that looked back at him, and Ezra carefully let got of his hand. Burt was shaking slightly, overwhelmed by what the smaller man had shown – by the trust. He had seen and touched parts of this man not even Chris knew about.

And Ezra had seen his mind.

"Can you trust me?" Standish asked openly.

The thief, con man and cheat. The Agent. The man. The bonded.

Burt found himself nodding.

The Agency commander, the sniper, the Special Operative. The man. The bonded.

Ezra smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Gummer."

"Burt," was all he said, making the offer.

Ezra nodded. "Burt," he accepted.

 

* * *

 

Chris had no idea what it took to convince the frightened Kiowata to agree to walk into the machine. Tyler's whole being seemed to shy away from the narrow chamber that represented the transformation room, and his ears lay flat against his head as he nervously danced over the steel plates. Burt was at his side, one hand touching the slender neck. Tyler snorted, pawing, trying not to bolt.

<Chris, promise me not to intervene> Ezra murmured as he watched Burt coax his partner into the stable-like contraption.

Tyler's eyes rolled in terror and Burt reached out, taking hold of the head, talking softly.

<I promise> Chris wrapped his arms around the slender form of his lover, nuzzling his neck.

Ezra smiled and pulled the worried face up, kissing Chris softly. <I'll be fine, love>

<I hope so>

<He won't hurt me>

<Maybe not consciously…>

<Chris, I'll be fine> Ezra repeated.

Larabee just tightened his hold, not very happy about the whole situation.

"It's their only chance," Ezra whispered, eyes on the two men again.

Burt was gently stroking Tyler's neck as the paint Kiowata pressed his head against his chest in the desperate need for contact. He was trembling badly.

Nathan entered the room and Burt looked at him, features grim, then his dark eyes sought out Ezra, who nodded at him.

It was time.

 

 

Burt felt Ezra's presence, stronger than a normal empath should by any rights be, but he couldn't care less at the moment. He concentrated on Tyler, the frightened, nervous presence in his mind, and he touched the Kiowata mind.

<I'm here>

<Scared>

<I know> he soothed. <But I'm here>

<You've always been there> Tyler replied.

<Yes>

<Burt…>

<Yes?> he asked, reading how unsure the younger man was.

<I… don't let me alone?> Tyler begged.

<Never>

The hum of the machine touched his ears, but he ignored it. All that counted was the presence in his mind. All his senses focused on Tyler. Ezra was his protection, his guardian, and he had to trust him blindly in this. The empath would keep him safe so he could keep Tyler safe.

Panic washed over the Kiowata and Burt channeled more of himself into the bond. He wrapped himself around the young mind, felt Tyler's sharp presence, the pain, the memories of the beatings, the whipping, the maltreatment of the others and himself. Burning hunger, thirst, more pain.

Trying to break him.

Ropes and shackles.

Outside in the sun. Burning down onto his bruised and battered form.

But he couldn't be broken.

Never.

Pride. An incredible willpower.

Latching onto the only thing he instinctively sought out as safety.

Burt Gummer.

Bonding. Interweaving already existing strands that had connected the two men.

Burt gasped in realization at the depths of what had occurred because of the fleeting contact, the surface bond they had shared. The pain had driven Tyler to flee, to reach out for some kind of support, to cast his mind along the safety line that stretched between them.

They had truly bonded.

<Tyler> he sent.

<Burt?>

It was whisper-soft, almost whimpered, sobbed, and he embraced the terrified mind that had survived such horrors. He was so proud of Tyler, so incredibly, unbelievably proud.

And…

<I love you> he whispered.

Inside the machine, the Kiowata suddenly quieted down.

Outside, Burt Gummer stared at the small unit, unaware of everything around him. Ezra kept him safe.

Tyler's mind flew wide open, amazement replacing the fear. Burt smiled and touched the vulnerable mind gently. Tendrils of his self brushed over the warmth that was Tyler Reed, that he had always felt as a background hum with him. The part that had shielded him from others, without even knowing it. The part that had made life worth living again, that kept Burt from going insane under the constant pressure of minds against his.

His very own buffer.

Catalyst.

He had never realized it. Tyler had made it possible.

And then the change tore through them. It was painless on a physical level and the two connected minds swam in a sea of safety and warmth. Burt gently caressed Tyler's presence, reassuring him again and again, until he felt the Kiowata take human shape once more.

He drew back slowly.

Tenderly brushing over the fading contact.

Tyler's body, in the same bad shape as the Kiowata had been, collapsed, taking the mind into unconsciousness.

Burt pulled back, reassured that Tyler was himself, that he was simply giving in to the stress, then he reached out for his own guidance.

Ezra was there. A soft presence at his back, representing a beacon in a foggy sea. He homed in on the man, felt his own mind pull him back, then he was there.

His own mind.

But not alone.

Tyler's presence was a welcome background hum and Burt smiled to himself.

"Burt?" Ezra's calm voice reached him and he turned his head.

"I'm back," he replied.

And he felt exhausted. He didn't know how long everything had taken, but it felt like a lifetime. Still, he had a promise to keep and as he pushed himself up, swaying, he determinedly stepped away from Ezra's helping hands.

"I need to see Tyler."

Ezra's green eyes held a knowledge that frightened Burt, and the younger man just nodded.

 

* * *

 

Tyler was naked, his body showing the abuse he had suffered as a Kiowata. Bruises adorned his limbs and torso, cuts and welts and rope burns. Some of the deeper wounds had broken open, like not otherwise expected, trickles of blood streaking the pale skin.

He looked the same as before the change. Somehow Burt had expected him to be… different. But here he was, the same longish, brown hair, the same slender but muscular body – now showing signs of malnourishment – and the same strong-featured face with its ever-present stubble. Now his features were more pronounced through the hollow look of his cheeks, the dark bruises under his eyes, and there was an angry red mark at his jaw where the Kiowata had received a blow from a handler.

Tyler was still unconscious, but his mind told Burt that he was fine. He firmly wrapped himself around the bond, brushing over the vulnerable mind, soothing the other man even while he wasn't awake to respond. Subconsciously though he did. A part of Tyler seemed to reach out and anchor himself to the older man.

Nathan quickly and expertly examined the injuries, then treated them according to severity, gave Tyler vitamin and other shots, and finally bandaged the worst wounds.

"He needs a lot of rest," Jackson told the waiting men. "He's weak, undernourished… just like the Kiowata he was. I gave him some shots to help his system, but he has to eat. Real food."

Burt nodded. "I'll see that he does."

"Good. For now, let him sleep."

"Not here," Gummer decided, looking around the infirmary.

Nathan was about to protest, but Chris nodded. "There's room at the house."

"Chris…" Nathan started.

"Can he leave the med bay?"

"Yes, but…"

"Nathan, Tyler needs surroundings that don't set off panic attacks," Ezra explained calmly. "And he needs people close that he trusts." He glanced at Burt. "As long as he doesn't have to be aboard the Chimera, they should stay at the house."

Nathan frowned, but he finally nodded. "Okay. Any change – call me. Understood?"

"Perfectly, Dr. Jackson," Burt replied.

 

* * *

 

Burt gazed down at the man lying on the large bed, now sleeping naturally, still very much naked under the covers. Nathan and Buck had helped Burt get his partner to the room where Burt had proceeded to strip the bandaged and bruised body of the borrowed clothes. Tyler liked to sleep semi-nude and rarely wore more than a pair of shorts. He had seen him walk around his house in that outfit in the morning and back then Burt had been hard-pressed not to react to the enticing sight. Especially that one time when Tyler had walked out of the house in all his glory in the morning, startling Burt who had been making coffee.

Look, don't touch, he had told himself firmly, especially his southern parts.

Tyler's people had no problems with nudity and while Burt wouldn't mind seeing the younger man like this again and again, he knew it would kill him to have this mouth-watering body around him without being able to touch him. Like holding a delicious meal in front of a starving man who wasn't allowed to eat it.

Now he touched the familiar mind, smiling. Tyler leaned into the mind touch, actually coming closer in his sleep, and Burt took two steps toward the bed before catching himself.

I love you.

He had told the frightened man his feelings, but now, after everything was over, after he was looking at him, Burt didn't know if his feelings were actually returned. At least in the way he meant them. He and Tyler had been friends right from the beginning, they had understood each other, and he had responded to the teasing from the younger man who had tried to coax him out of his self-inflicted solitary existence.

But would Tyler even want more than friendship? And what had Burt to offer anyway? He was so much older, even though he had no idea how old Tyler actually was. He had seen too much in his life time, he had gone to hell and nearly hadn't made it back. His mind was scarred by the experience and he shied away from people. Antisocial and paranoid, he mused, balding and not much to look at. Even if the soul bond made them partners, would Tyler want to take this chance on him, make the leap to lovers?

Burt sighed softly and stepped away from the bed. He had to wait.

Tyler was too weak and too confused right now. He needed distance – he needed to heal.

Sitting down outside on the couch, the exhausted telepath sank back against the soft cushions. His mind burned with the strain it had been under and he needed to relax, but his body was still too pumped up. And there was the fact that he was curled around Tyler's presence, unable to let go. He needed the reassurance, just like Tyler did himself.

 

*

 

The nightmare happened an hour into his dozing state of mind. Burt was jolted out of the warm haven he had fled to relax by a sharp stab, followed by an even harsher cry. His eyes flew open as his mind homed in on the well-known presence, feeling the biting sting of a nightmare.

<Tyler!> he called.

A cry answered him, turning into a terrified whimper, and the bond was awash in images of torture and small rooms, of fire and agony, of whips and loud voices.

Trying to break him.

Burt stumbled into the bedroom, dark eyes homing in on the man moving restlessly in the middle of it, body covered in sweat.

A terrified mind flailed for support and he gave it without thinking. Just like he slid under the covers and took the trembling form into his arms. Burt didn't think about wearing no protection against the skin-to-skin contact; no gloves, no shirt, nothing.

Tyler sobbed softly, automatically turning into his embrace, clutching at him, burying his head against his chest. Burt soothingly stroked the too thin form, held the shaking man, and his mind was a warm cocoon around the frazzled one it was bonded to.

<I'm here>

Wild images flared once, then mellowed as Tyler recognized the safety Burt presented. He relaxed more, melting against him, and Gummer closed his eyes as the warm weight settled in again. He never stopped his caress.

Burt still had no idea what exactly had happened to his partner in all detail. The few images were enough to make him want to throw up nevertheless. Tyler had shown spirit as a Kiowata, the same he possessed when he was human, and he had still been aware of himself when he had been captured. Fighting against the handlers, trying to break out of the stables, he had been beaten into submission and when that hadn't worked, starved. There were memories of pain and hunger, of loneliness and witnessing the brutal treatment of the other Kiowata.

And the clipping of one.

Burt tightened his hold as Tyler's thoughts whirled around him. They didn't hurt him. Even now in his unconscious state, Tyler's mind protected him, shielded him. But witnessing the brutal cutting of the magnificent horns had Gummer want to do the same to the rogue handlers as they had done to their captives.

<I'm here> he whispered again. <Not going to leave you. You're safe>

 

* * *

 

Burt woke to the unfamiliar sensation of someone in bed with him. Very close to him, to be exact. A warm, hard body, molded against his form, an arm thrown over his chest, breathing against his shoulder.

Tyler Reed.

In full body contact.

There was no pain, like there had never been pain when he had touched the other man without gloves before. Tyler was a softly humming presence in the back of his mind, a safety Burt had unconsciously relied on in the past.

He touched the mind so trustingly ensconced in his own, so vulnerable to any kind of malicious attack, and still so much a shield for Burt against the overwhelming presence of the others around him. It was a paradox that a weak and wounded Tyler, almost broken by the handlers, was just as much defending Burt as Burt was protecting him. He would never hurt this mind or the body it belonged to. He would guard it with his life.

Tyler moved sleepily against him and Burt felt something inside of him stir. Something very inappropriate. Something he had felt in connection to this man before. And it had nothing to do with Gummer being a telepath.

Gray eyes opened and blinked. Confusion trickled through the bond, then the pale face turned to look at him. Tyler hadn't made a move to disentangle himself from Burt; actually, he looked like he didn't even want to.

"Burt?" he whispered.

"Yes."

"It worked?"

Burt smiled, unconsciously stroking over the longish hair. "Yes."

"Great." Tyler briefly closed his eyes, wetting his lips. "I feel like shit."

"I expected that. You're still injured."

"Can feel that, too. Burt?"

"Hm?"

"Why are we in bed together?"

Gummer stiffened slightly. Right now was the worst moment to find out if Tyler had any feelings for him beyond friendship.

"You had a nightmare."

"Oh." Tyler still made no moves to roll away. Burt was awed by the simple display of ease and trust. "Okay."

"You hungry?"

"Not really."

The rumbling stomach begged to differ and Burt smiled. "How about we get you cleaned up a little, then eat? Dr. Jackson will want to have a look at those wounds, too."

Tyler grunted something, eyes closed, looking very comfortable where he was right now. Burt gave him another five minutes of dozing, then slowly extracted himself from the mildly protesting man.

 

* * *

 

The day passed with medical examinations, getting food and liquids into Tyler, and watching him sleep. Burt didn't leave his younger friend alone for a moment and while he caught a few news programs, he rarely turned his attention away from Reed. He talked to Chris and Ezra, who were making sure he was given all the privacy they needed.

Tyler's nightmares returned the second night, but this time Burt caught them just as they developed. Sliding into bed as if it was the most natural thing, he let Tyler snuggle against him, and he felt those inappropriate thoughts again.

He had fallen for this man. For the wide, gray eyes, the ready smile, the enthusiastic nature. And for the warmth he had found in that mind. Tyler was a caring, warm man, a man who could give so much, who was so incredibly open to the world, who was curious and adventurous. He had fallen for this free spirit he had envied the moment he had met him. Tyler Reed was an amazing man with an amazing soul. Burt brushed through the brown hair, smiling tenderly, then closed his eyes and let himself drift off into sleep.

 

* * *

 

The next morning came and when Burt woke, he became aware of Tyler's lazy movements in his arms. Somehow they had ended up spooned together, with Tyler's back pressed against his chest, one of Burt's arms wrapped around the slender waist. The delicious movement, the friction of Tyler's butt against his groin, roused something very much inappropriate and Burt froze as he felt the mind he was bonded to wake.

Tyler yawned and sleepily rolled onto his back, grimacing slightly as recent injuries protested.

"Hey," he murmured, smiling at Burt who still lay propped up on his side.

Gummer cleared his throat. "Morning."

Gray eyes gazed at him, pinning him with such an intensity that Burt couldn't but look at them. He was too close. Way too close. As he tried to pull back, keep his friend from feeling the hard evidence of his arousal, Tyler slowly rolled onto his side and a hand was placed flat on his chest. The gray eyes didn't let him go. Then that hand glided lower, coming to rest on the narrow hips, so enticingly close to the arousal Burt desperately tried to hide.

"Tyler…" he tried.

This couldn't be happening, wasn't happening.

"Me too, Burt," Tyler simply said, eyes deep and serious, concentrating on only one person.

"Wha…?"

The injured man smiled. "I'm not exactly physically able to show you, but me too."

Burt's mind went into full arrest. He hadn't dared to hope… But he felt the sincerity through the bond, which was wide open to him. Tyler made no attempts to shield.

Reed's hand was back and this time fisting into his dark green shirt, pulling him down as he eased himself onto his back once more.

"I think I can manage that," Tyler murmured and pressed their lips together.

It wasn't the hottest of kisses. It was loving, though. Loving and tender and questing. Burt finally unfroze, responding to the other man, kissing him back. Tyler breathed hard when they separated, closing his eyes.

"Damn. One kiss and I feel like we just went at it like rabbits."

Burt chuckled and the gray eyes opened again, twinkling with happiness.

"Later. I promise you a lot more later," Tyler vowed.

"I can wait," Burt murmured, caressing the stubbled face, unable to really comprehend that his feelings were returned. This was too fantastic. "I want you whole and healthy, Tyler."

Tyler leaned into the caress, already looking like he was about to drop off to sleep again.

<Get some more rest> Burt whispered, unconsciously using the bond. <I'll get us breakfast>

Tyler didn't even wonder about the intimate contact, he just dozed off.

Burt gazed at the younger man in amazement. Within a few minutes their relationship had been redefined. Just like that. Acceptance and returned affection, an affection that would lead to something Burt had only dreamed of before. Physical intimacy.

But not before Tyler was physically and mentally able to, he decided. He was still weak, suffered from the mistreatment he had been forced to endure, and Gummer was determined to make damned certain that Tyler Reed would be whole again.

 

* * *

 

Vin sat outside the Chimera, gazing out over the former breeding ranch. There were empty stables and corrals, and the paddocks would soon be reclaimed by nature. The Chimera sat just behind the main house, the ramp down, and the crew busy with either maintenance or searching through the former breeding facility. JD had explored a little, then decided to get together with Josiah and look over 'his' ship.

Ever since Tyler's change back into human form, Vin had been carefully watching the other man. He was of a Hija clan, the Par, and while Vin had no knowledge of their customs, basically all Hija had the same with a few variations. He had studied the nomadic culture, had lived among them, and he had been bonded to one. Chanu had been a large influence on Vin's life. Tanner wanted to meet Tyler, talk to him, find out about his life.

He had his first chance two days after the transformation. Tyler looked thin and pale, but he was up and about, taking careful walks around the house. From Nathan he knew of the extent of the torture Reed had gone through as a Kiowata and it was amazing that he was this active. The man had willpower and spirit, and he hadn't been broken by the handlers, which told Vin more than anything.

"Hey," Tyler greeted Vin, who was sitting on the corral fence, trying to look harmless and unassuming.

"Hey." Vin smiled at the other man. "I'm Vin Tanner. Chris's second in command."

Tyler nodded and walked over to him, no wariness or unease on his thin features. Vin noticed Gummer's presence close by, the taller man leaning against the former stables, just watching them.

"How are you?"

Tyler shrugged. "Could be better and the nightmares are a drain."

Surprised by the openness, Vin studied the Par. "They'll pass," he answered slowly.

"Yeah, probably."

Tyler closed his eyes and enjoyed the warmth of the day, the sun playing over his skin.

Vin wondered just how strong the bond between the two men was. Tyler had been scared out of his mind, unable to enter the machine that would change him back, and somehow Burt had managed to coax him inside. The older man had displayed a strength and a familiarity with the bond that was astounding. Chris and Ezra had developed theirs in an ever-increasing curve, but not even those two, who were tightly bound, had been that efficient in the beginning. Vin doubted Chris would have been able to get Ezra inside this contraption. If Ezra was correct, the bond had formed a while ago, but the strength had grown exponentially within the time the two men had been undercover.

Curious.

"Tyler?" he asked softly.

Gray eyes opened and the other man gave him a smile. "Yeah?"

"Tell me if I presume too much, but… I know you're Par Hija and… I was bonded to a Kray Hija once." Vin shrugged uncomfortably. "I lived with the Kray, know their customs…"

"Now you want to know about the Par?"

Tanner nodded.

Tyler smiled. "Sure." Then he suddenly tilted his head. "Answer me a question of your own?"

"Okay…?"

"You said you were bonded… What happened?"

Vin evaded the gray gaze and inhaled deeply. It was a painful part of his past.

"Vin…?" Tyler asked softly. "If it's too much… I mean…"

He shook his head. "No. It's okay. It happened a long time ago." He shot the other man a brief smile, then began to explain about Chanu.

Tyler listened attentively.

And in the background, Burt Gummer watched them.

 

* * *

 

It was three days and some nightmares later that Burt woke up from a sweet caress on his mind.

<Burt?>

He sent a silent answer, too sleepy and too comfortable to answer out loud. They no longer took Tyler’s nightmares as an excuse to share a bed; it just came as naturally to both of them as if they had done it for years.

Something that, if Burt took his time to think about it, stunned the tall man. He had fallen for Tyler from the first moment he had seen him, had felt his mind soothingly wrap around his own, fitting like a well-worn glove. As energetic as Tyler Reed might appear to the world, as calm and comforting was his mind for the tormented psyche of the older Borderline. Commander Burt Gummer had retreated from the world in general and other humans in particular about ten years ago, had just walked into his superior’s office and told him in no uncertain terms where to put his assignment, and hadn’t been  seen ever since.

A shiver went through his body when thinking about the reason why he had fled, and the bond hummed in response to the sudden distress he was feeling.

<Burt?>

This time there was concern floating in his direction, and Burt immediately turned toward his lover.

<I’m okay>

<Uh-huh>

<Really>

Something else made itself known, triggered by both the physical and the mental proximity of his lover – and it could have lots to do with the fact that Tyler was currently blanketing his body, kissing him like there would be no tomorrow.

Burt sighed into the mouth covering his, and the bond hummed again, this time reflecting the arousal both men were feeling. It had been too long since someone had shown this kind of affection for him. He had been alone ever since coming to Perfection, even with the Par coming by now and again. Now there was Tyler, who had touched him in a friendly way before when they had been nothing but friends – before the change.

<Tyler?>

<Want you, Burt. Want you now …>

It sent a flutter of feelings through him. <Are you sure? It’s only been three days, and we’ve never …>

There was a moment of silence before Tyler answered, shyness accompanying his response.

<I wanted you for a longer time, Burt. When I first saw you, out there in the desert, when I saw how you were treating the Kiowata and the Graboids … only the Par used to do it with that much respect. Offworlders simply don’t act that way, they see just animals in them which can be used and possessed. But you – you were different, and I could feel that, from the first moment on. I didn’t know I loved you, but – I love you>

The soft vibration of Tyler’s mind caressed his own, calming the turmoil with such natural ease it always stunned Burt, wrapping around him the same way the body wrapped around his.

The younger man wasn't fit enough for most of what he wanted, but he could at least release some tension. Answering the hungry, needy kiss, Burt rolled the slender form around, looking down into heated eyes.

He proceeded to kiss, nibble and stroke his way down the slender man, taking his cues from the very vocal responses to his touches. He teased and soothed, aroused and calmed Tyler, soon having a writhing bundle of need whose hard evidence was jutting toward him. That the body beneath him was male was of little difference to him.

Burt looked into the wide open eyes, felt the tremors along the bond, and closed his fingers around the arousal. Tyler moaned, bucking up as Burt began a lazy rhythm, alternating between slow and fast strokes, exploring his lover's southern areas in detail, running fingers over highly sensitive skin, teasing more. He had been involved with men in the past, but never anything serious and after he had married his wife, those little flings had stopped.

Ever since the divorce and his move to Perfection, his hand had been his best companion. He wouldn't approach the Par and even if there had been offers, the fear of the pain that followed bodily contact was too great. Burt had no idea if, throughout a sexual encounter, the calm minds he was so used to wouldn't suddenly turn into the piercing, fiery agony he associated with physical touches by another being.

"Burt!" Tyler whispered throatily, drawing him out of his reverie. "Please…"

His responses came over the connection between them, telling Burt how far he could go before Tyler reached the point of no return, and he slowed down once more. It drew a frustrated cry. Yes, he knew how to touch and arouse a male body, he knew what he himself liked and just where to stroke, fondle or caress to get the maximum effect, so chances were Tyler liked it, too.

As it was, he quite vocally told Burt that it was more than liked.

"Don't!" Tyler pleaded. "Don't stop. I want you!"

<You have me> he sent, caressing the stubbled features, kissing the open lips.

Tyler's hands brushed over his own skin, seeking out soft spots, teasing on their own. Burt closed his eyes, sinking into the feeling of his lover's touch, then flew open as Tyler unexpectedly ran exploring fingers over his own hardness. His mouth opened into a silent gasp and his lover smiled, increasing his ministrations.

<Want you>

Burt knew what he implied, but Tyler wasn't ready for that kind of action yet. It would do more harm than good to the healing body.

<I want you too> he replied, <but until you're completely free of pain, I won't>

Tyler's eyes met his and instead of the protest Burt had expected, there was calm acceptance. Before he could respond, the fingers were back, teasing and stroking and exploring.

He blanketed the smaller man, brought them together, and started a steady rhythm as Tyler's hand supplied sweet friction. Kissing his lover deeply, he increased the pressure, felt strong hands clutch his butt, holding him ever-closer, and suddenly there was the blinding explosion of release, swamping the link. Burt only gasped, but Tyler's cry spoke for both of them.

Collapsing onto the mattress, Tyler's eyes stayed open for a few more seconds, then closed in sheer bliss that Burt felt along the bond, his lover's body turning limp in satisfaction.

Gummer briefly abandoned the enticing sight of a completely relaxed Tyler Reed, got some towels and cleaned them both off. Then he drew a blanket over them both and took the unresisting body into his arm. A sleepy presence curled around his mind.

No words were exchanged as Tyler drifted off, exhausted, and Burt just dozed for a while, staying with his partner. He would let the younger man sleep.

 

* * *

 

"Hey, you got a minute?"

Chris looked up from his coffee and smiled at his long-time friend. "Sure. Come on in."

Buck, his oldest friend and part of the Chimera team,  pushed away from the open door and pulled it shut behind him as he walked into the room. Chris didn't so much as raise an eyebrow at that. It had been inevitable that Buck would come to talk to him. They both had known Burt when he had still been a Commander, had served in his team, learning from the other man who had been just a few years older than them. Burt Gummer had been one of the most respected team leaders at the time, hard-nosed, tough but fair, and inspiring. A lot Chris knew he knew from him.

"It's Burt," Buck said softly as he took a seat and declined an offered cup of coffee. "I know we haven't seen him in a while, but he's different. He never was the back-slapping kind of guy, but he's…. I don't know… Has it anything to do with Tyler?" Buck asked in his straight-forward way. "I mean, was he the reason Burt left the service?"

"No, Buck. Burt's the same Burt we know before he left, with a few differences."

"Like the soul bond."

Chris nodded. "Tyler is what Ezra's to me. His missing part."

"But you're not as antisocial as he is," Wilmington muttered.

"He's careful."

"Why?"

Chris didn't answer. Burt's telepathic abilities were the other man's secret and it wasn't his place to tell.

Buck watched him, then nodded to himself. "You know what's going on, right?"

"It's a private matter, Buck."

"'Kay. No problem. I respect that."

And Chris knew he would. Buck wasn't the prying kind; he was currently just worried about an old friend and former mentor.

"You think he'll talk to us if he decides he wants to share?"

"Yes, I think he will."

Buck chuckled. "But he won't come to that decision. Gummer's not the kinda guy."

Chris shared the humor. "Nope. And he has Tyler, Buck."

Larabee wondered if the younger man knew about Burt's Borderline abilities or not. Just because they were bonded didn't mean Tyler knew everything there was about his partner. It wasn't like he and Ezra had been open books for each other.

<You were like a locked diary> Ezra teased.

<Says the one who shames the Joined Government's secret service>

Ezra laughed. <It's a matter of trust and Burt's not very much at ease with who and what he is. He loves Tyler, but he's afraid>

<So you actually know more about the man than his bonded?>

<Kinda> was the light answer.

And Standish wouldn't use it. Burt had shown an incredible amount of trust when he had touched a virtual stranger. He had done it for Tyler.

<Well, Dr. Standish, any ideas?>

<Give them time>

"Wouldn't have thought the old man fell that way," Buck chuckled, drawing Chris out of his link to Ezra.

"Women have said the same about you."

"Ah, well, but women don't know Vin Tanner."

Chris smirked, remembering only too well how his friend had turned from homophobic to... well, very much accepting, thanks to one Vin Tanner. "Tyler's good for him." <Like you are for me> he sent toward Ezra, receiving a flood of warmth from his soul partner.

"No argument from me. I like the guy."

"Does Vin know?"

"Larabee!" Buck shot him a mock glare.

Chris laughed and emptied his mug of coffee. He knew his friend wouldn't crowd Burt, would give him room, despite being so curious about the changes in the older man's life. Thank goodness the whole team had experience with soul bonds. All strange occurrences could be acclaimed to it. No one would have to know the whole truth.

 

* * *

 

Tyler studied his soul partner as Burt slept. It was rare that Burt wasn't the first one up and about, so he took this chance. There was so much he had noticed right from the day they had first met. The warm color of the dark brown eyes, the tall, sinewy body that moved with such grace despite the size. The strength and compassion of this man, the power he radiated. Tyler had felt drawn to him for no apparent reason and they had formed a fast, strong friendship. He was amazed by the depth the offworlder displayed, the gentleness he treated the Kiowata with, and the respect he had for the highly evolved life forms of Perfection, Graboids and Kiowata alike.

Several of the Kiowata had stayed willingly with him, accepting the other man like one of their own. Tyler's own Kiowata partner had sent his surprise at the touch of this non-Par, fascinated like the others.

Tyler didn't know what it was, had never wondered why the other man wore gloves all the time, except once or twice when touching the large equines, and he couldn't interpret what his Kiowata had felt when Gummer patted him. But he still remembered the day Burt had accidentally slipped and Tyler had caught him, their bare hands touching. The shocked amazement on Burt's features had been puzzling, but Tyler had simply pulled him up, deciding that if Burt wanted to open up and talk, he would be there.

He knew about soul bonds from his clan. There had been pairings in the past. One still lived with them, the other had gone to join another clan. Soul mates were a normal occurrence, so when Tyler had felt the first touches of a bond, he hadn't really been that scared. He was simply surprised as to who his partner was.

Looking at the features smoothed out in sleep, Tyler smiled gently and pillowed his head on one arm. Burt was a relaxed presence in his mind, so totally at ease it was unbelievable that this man had been hurt so badly and because of it had pulled away from the world. Tyler didn't know much about Burt's past and if his friend wanted to share it with him, he would listen. If not, he accepted that, too.

Gummer moved lazily as if feeling the scrutiny he was under, and warm brown eyes opened, meeting Tyler's. Reed didn't hesitate and simple closed the distance, kissing his partner gently. Burt responded, carding his fingers into Tyler's loose hair, cupping the back of his head.

Wonder flooded the link, amazement that Tyler was his.

The younger man pulled back slightly, pushing the bond open with such familiarity as if they had always been together.

<Always you. Only you, Burt>

The dark eyes held puzzlement mixed with love and Tyler understood the reservations his partner still had. Despite the connection between them, Burt would continue to question the pairing. They were hardly alike.

<I don't care what you were or who you think you are now. I love you> Tyler whispered, caressing the narrow face, rubbing one thumb over Burt's temple.

Old, damaged, broken…

Tyler arrested the thoughts the moment they welled up. "You're not damaged, Burt," he said softly. "Nor broken. And age is a state of mind. You're not old. We all bear our scars."

Like he did his. Marring his body. Tyler knew he was attractive, had had offers from women and men, too, but not drop-dead gorgeous. So what did Burt see in him?

Gummer's eyes widened as he let that trickle through. "Everything," was the emotion-filled reply. He wasn't used to expressing them so openly. "You're everything to me, Tyler. My shield, my sanity, my safety… I... you give me so much more than I think I can ever return."

"You already have," Tyler whispered against Burt's lips. "I have you." <Part of my soul. My missing part>

He locked their lips together, sliding over the taller man, blanketing him. Strong hands caressed his back, running over the still visible marks of his abuse, then up his sides. Tyler moaned when Burt's fingers found his sensitive spots, especially his nipples.

One hand suddenly slid deeper, gliding over his awakening arousal.

<Burt> he whispered.

His lover closed his hands around him, pumping gently and Tyler gasped.

<Yes…>

Those lips were back, driving him crazy, and his hands clenched into the muscular back. Tyler hooked a leg around the strong thighs, gazing at his lover with need and lust.

The soft presence of his lover within the bond seemed to push through his barriers and fears. Fears of vulnerability; fears of identity; fears of belonging; fears of being alone all gave way to his slow, persistent presence of Tyler Reed in his soul.

The bond between them exploded into agonizing pleasure as two minds experienced the shared peak of pleasure.

 

* * *

 

The Chimera had lifted off twenty-four hours ago. Chris had decided to leave the planet behind, a place where a lot of bad memories resided for their latest soul partner pairing. Tyler had been curious about the ship and JD had happily explained the Chimera to him. After two hours, Josiah had rescued him from the enthusiastic pilot, though it couldn't really be called a 'rescue'. Much to Sanchez's surprise, Tyler had been just as enthusiastic.

Reed had made fast friends with everyone. He and Vin spent hours talking about Tyler's clan, much to Buck's amusement. Ezra kept an eye on the young bonded, while Chris had one on Burt, and he explained the facts of shape-changing to Tyler – especially about the Kiowata instincts. One of their talks led to both men being in the hangar of the Chimera, the soft hum of the ship all around them.

"You're, essentially, a Borderline like me," Ezra told the other man.

Tyler frowned. "Like you?"

"You're a latent shape-changer, Tyler."

The gray eyes blinked. "What?"

"You were born with what others call a gene deficiency but what essentially enables humans to display certain amounts of… abilities. I'm a latent empath and I have a sped-up healing ability," Ezra explained openly. "My time as a Kiowata also triggered something that later, after I was myself again, turned out to be a shape-changing ability of my own. I can become the Kiowata at will. Like Chris."

Tyler gaped, then suddenly his features closed off. "No way."

"Very much the truth, I'm afraid. Nathan checked your DNA and while you're back to your old self, you retained the ability to become the Kiowata."

"No!"

Tyler stepped back from Ezra as if he had just tried to bite him. Panic washed over him and he clenched his hands into fists.

"Tyler, it's an amazing ability and you should train it."

"No! No way! I can't… I'd…" He broke off, visibly terrified now.

The door to the training room was suddenly flung open and Burt strode inside, face a mask of fury and shared pain. He looked at the other man, then briefly glanced at Ezra, only to fully concentrate of his soul mate again.

Tyler didn't move. He didn't run to Gummer. He just stood there, expressive gray eyes showing in detail how he felt. He was a strong man, Ezra mused, but the horror of the past was still haunting him.

"You both can shape-change," Ezra reiterated. "And you should use the ability. It's dormant, but the instinct is there. Ask Chris what he feels when caged in on Four Corners too long. I know what I feel when I'm on a planet where I can stretch my legs. I want to run. If you don't find the trigger that lets you control the ability, it will find its own way."

"I can't," Tyler whispered brokenly.

"Because you're scared," Standish supplied gently. "And it's okay to be scared. I didn't want to be Borderline in the first place and the ability to become the Kiowata was more than just frightening to me. But you can't just shove it into a corner and forget about it. It'll come back."

Burt was by now standing behind the younger man and gently placed his hands on the still too thin shoulders. His eyes sought out Ezra's, reading the empath without even using his own telepathy. Ezra was almost certain that they were communicating silently, the soul bond providing the two partners with the same silent method of communication he had with Chris.

"We're going to learn together," Burt finally spoke.

Ezra nodded. "Good. Then lets begin again."

 

* * *

 

Chris's office aboard the Chimera was small but functional and Burt leaned into the corner opposite the large desk, watching his former subordinate as he talked to the head of the Criminal Investigative Division, Orrin Travis.

"We're on our way to P14-69," Larabee said calmly. "We found two more Kiowata and will drop them off in three more days."

"Two more Kiowata?" Travis asked, reflecting the same calmness.

"Yes, sir."

"Captain Davis told me about the trouble you had with one of them. He reported that he left that one behind in your care. A former human?"

"Yes, sir."

"And he wants to stay in his Kiowata form?"

"Yes, sir."

"As for the second one…?"

"Buck and Vin found him throughout a sweep."

"Just like that?"

"Yes, sir. Apparently he was overlooked the first time."

"I see. Sloppy work."

Burt raised his eyebrows at the tone of voice that suggested that Travis 'saw' something indeed. Something between the lines.

"I received an odd inquiry from an old friend of yours, Chris," Travis went on conversationally. "Jack McBain."

Chris's face displayed genuine surprise and Burt had to give it to his friend. He was a good actor. "Jack? Really? How is he nowadays?"

"Pretty good, I suppose. We didn't exchange pleasantries," was the reply. "He was wondering if you ran into two undercover agents by the name of Burt Gummer and Tyler Reed."

"Can't say I have, sir," Chris answered, face straight and innocent.

Burt's brows rose more.

"I figured as much. You wouldn't just obfuscate their presence aboard the Chimera, correct, Agent Larabee?"

"Absolutely, sir."

"Good."

"Sir?"

"Yes?"

"Burt Gummer… like former Agency Commander Burt Gummer?"

Burt almost heard the smile in Travis's reply. "Yes, the very same."

"Isn't he retired?"

"Actually, yes, he is. I asked Jack the same, but he claimed it was a matter of political importance and he couldn't disclose any facts."

Chris nodded sagely. "Of course."

"What he could tell me was that one Agent went undercover as a Kiowata." There was a fine tone to the AD's voice that had Burt chuckle silently.

"A Kiowata? McBain used the machine to send in a human as a Kiowata?" Chris gave the image on his screen a shocked look.

"Yes, apparently McBain got a hold of the machine and used it for his purposes. I believe he'll get in trouble soon because of it."

Chris grinned. "Yes, sir." Then he grew serious. "If his undercover agents were captured by the rogues, a likely fate is that they were clipped and sold, or even killed."

"Very likely. I'll put them down as MIA for now."

"Very good idea."

"I thought so myself. When do you expect to be back, Chris?" Travis wanted to know conversationally.

"In a week, sir."

"Good. Safe flight, Commander."

"Thank you, sir."

"Travis out."

When Chris looked up and met Burt's eyes, the hazel eyes were alight with amusement and satisfaction. "I think your fate has been sealed, Burt."

"You pack a lot of power, Chris," Gummer replied. "Travis is Assistant Director… and he bought your story?"

"Kinda."

Orrin Travis knew. He knew what had happened to the two undercover men, he knew who the Kiowata were, and he knew Chris was helping them disappear. Why he didn't use his own power to get them back was anyone's guess.

"You'll be safe. Travis won't talk," Chris reassured him.

"You're pretty sure of that."

"I'm a hundred percent certain, actually. Travis came through for us before. He knows more than we all think, always did. Actually he figured out what was going on between me and Ezra way before we were ready to tell him. We never actually did." Chris leaned back and smiled.

"I see." Burt tilted his head, a faraway expression crossing his features.

Chris shot him a questioning look.

"Tyler's telling me to stop being so paranoid."

Chris chuckled. "Good advice. Travis is on our side, Burt."

"I've got to trust you in this."

 

* * *

 

Tyler sat in the mess hall of the ship, grinning to himself as he shamelessly listened in to the conversation between Burt and Chris. It wasn't as if his partner was actually shielding the bond.

Ezra, who was sitting across from him, happily eating a sinfully large piece of chocolate pie, shot him a quizzical look.

"Burt," was all Tyler answered, digging into his own cake.

Ezra just nodded, the explanation more than enough.

The two men had actually hit off well. After the initial contact before his change, Tyler had found a good listener in the other man. Ezra was a lot of things, had told him about his past as a con man, cheat and thief, about meeting Chris and coming to work for the Agency, but the most prominent feature of the Borderline was his ability to just listen.

One thing they shared at the moment was the need to eat. Tyler had to regain his weight and Ezra had a metabolism that burned off a lot of energy. He could eat things other simply had to look at to gain some pounds and not gain weight. Like the chocolate cake.

"Are you okay with leaving Perfection?" Ezra suddenly asked, face open and voice gentle.

Tyler met the emerald gaze with the same openness. "I was born and raised there, I lived my whole life in its deserts, mountains and sometimes the forests, but it's not a place I'm bound to," he answered.

"It's a huge step."

A shrug. "So was coming with Burt to save the Kiowata."

"You thought you would return," Ezra pointed out.

Tyler smiled. "Yes, maybe. You've got to understand that my people believe in something you would call fate, Ezra. When I first met Burt, one of the clan elders told me we had been destined to meet. When I left the clan to stay with him, Nensi smiled and nodded at me. Just that. She knew. And I know I'll stay with Burt wherever he goes. He's my soul partner."

Ezra looked at him, smiling slightly, the dimples growing. "I know what you feel, Tyler, and what you mean. It was easier for me though, I had no family. There's nothing out there waiting for me. Chris was the best that could happen to me; he saved my life."

"Fate," Tyler said simply. "You were meant to be with him."

Standish nodded.

Tyler had no qualms leaving Perfection behind. He didn't know if Burt would ever return, maybe remove his possessions from his home, close down the farm, but if he didn't, it wouldn't bother him. Tyler's people accepted what the future gave them and he didn't question it.

Something brushed over him and Tyler leaned into the bond, automatically answering Burt's touch.

<It's easy to talk to him> he said softly.

<I know. He's empathic>

<That's not what I meant, Burt. He… there are a lot of parallels between us and them. Ezra knows what he's talking about. He can teach us what they had to find out one by one>

Something came through their connection and Tyler smiled softly.

<I trust him, Burt. He and the others mean well>

Looking at Ezra, he saw knowledge in the green eyes, knowledge of the bond, of the contact, and the closeness.

Somehow it felt reassuring to have the other bonded pair aboard this ship, even if Burt was slightly paranoid about it for some reason. Something about his lover shied away from so many people, from such close contact, and while he tried to hide it, it was plain to see.

Maybe one day Burt would tell him what it was.

 

* * *

 

The Chimera was not flying full speed. Except for Chris and Ezra, no one of the team knew why, and no one asked for reasons. Pilot JD Dunne was happy not to strain his 'lady' and in the engine room Josiah kept tinkering with the engines as they smoothly ran on the same output level. It was a relaxed flight for them, though no one saw it as a vacation, and there was time to catch up on things that had been neglected lately.

Like paperwork.

Burt Gummer mostly kept to himself and the men accepted it, much to Chris's relief. They assumed it was the soul bond that made the former Agent so reclusive and Chris didn't correct them in those assumptions. Only Vin suspected that there was more than met the eyes, but Larabee's second-in-command simply watched and waited.

Ezra spent whatever time he had with Tyler, slowly going through the shape-changing training with him, showing him his own abilities and startling him with the ease with which he took on the equine shape. The hangar had been declared a training room and no one was allowed to be there except Chris, when Tyler was at ease with his presence, or Burt.

Nathan kept a very close eye on his patient, followed his recuperation progress, and he insisted on examining the younger man after training sessions. Tyler bore it with patience.

 

*

 

//There were voices in his head, insistent, questioning, probing...

But he refused to answer.

The pressure grew, insisting became demanding, probing became piercing.

But he refused to give in to them. He still had barriers, shields, and he held on to them, praying that they would hold, withstand the increasing force.

Who are you?

He refused to answer.

Who sent you?

Don’t listen, don’t react …

But then the piercing changed, turned into a white hot pain, flaming agony like a dragon’s fiery breath, attacking his shields with a vengeance he had never felt before, taking its energy from a source fed by hate, deep and dark... and his shields cracked.

No… god… please…

The dragon breathed fire.

His shields crumbled.

Who are you?

He cried.

He didn’t know how long he had been here, didn’t even know where ‘here’ was. He had lost track of the time. There hadn’t been any light except for the blinding white hot pokes that tortured his mind every time somebody came to him, talked to him or – which was worst of all – touched him. He cringed in fear, tried to shy away from the voices, the images, the flood of emotions that overwhelmed his helpless mind, from the touches. There was nothing left to protect him from the continuing assault of feelings that weren’t his own while he cried about the death of loved ones he had never met or screamed with pains that didn’t originate inside him.

He clamped his hands over his ears and whimpered, his voice too rough to scream anymore, but the voices wouldn’t stop, the sounds wouldn’t fade away.

And they kept coming back.

Until he was too exhausted to even cry anymore.

"Burt…?"

The voice was familiar, the images flooding his mind known. Yet he recoiled in panic when the hands tried to touch him, and thankfully they were withdrawn. He didn’t know where he was or who was talking to him, but his defenseless mind recognized the beacon, latched onto the only thing that appeared to be at least a little safe, clutching and anchoring itself to a small lighthouse of calmness in this wild sea of different sensations.

Clawing himself out of his agony he reached out on his own, grabbing the hand and accepting the stab of visions and thoughts. He didn’t hear himself sob, didn’t hear how rough his own voice sounded and he didn’t feel the arms around himself as he was caught, breaking down into a merciful darkness.

But the voices followed.

Sadness.

Misery.

Blue eyes that didn’t meet his anymore.

“I’m sorry.”

“Heather… “

He wanted to reach out, hold her, hold her back. But the moment his skin touched hers, he cringed, flinched away from the fleeting contact.

“I’m sorry … “

Sadness.

Disappointment.

He withdrew.

“I can’t… I’m sorry.”

He didn’t turn around to look after her as she silently closed the door behind her, clenching his fists in his pockets. He had had flares and flashes before, but nothing like this, ever. She had left because she just couldn’t stand it anymore.

And the saddest thing was, he could understand her.

Because he wasn’t even able to touch his own wife anymore; too overpowering were even her thoughts.

And the voices grew louder.

“Mr. Gummer? Can you hear me?”

He didn’t want to hear the voice, didn’t want to open his eyes, but it was insistent, so he obeyed. The first thing he saw was white; and then his other senses kicked in, slowly putting bits and pieces together to one fitting picture.

Hospital.

“Mr. Gummer?”

“Hm… “

“Do you know where you are?”

“Hos...p… “

His throat was too dry to talk, the simple effort making him cough violently. A spoon with some ice chips was held to his mouth and he hadn’t known something so simple could feel so good. He wanted to wipe his face but his limbs seemed too heavy to move them just yet.

“Don’t try to move, Mr. Gummer.”

The voice was soft and gentle, as was the hand touching his arm.

And the world twisted.

When he came back to himself he couldn’t move. But now he knew why.

Restraints.

It took every bit of willpower that was left inside him not to scream with the recognition.

And the voices whispered.//

 

*

 

Tyler was in the hangar with Ezra once more. While Burt had no problems changing form, Tyler still felt an initial fear, a panic that was connected to memories of his time with the handlers. He wasn't able to lose the feeling that when he gave up his human shape he would become a victim once more. He was frightened of the instinctual part.

"The Kiowata is a wonderful being, Tyler," Ezra explained.

"I know. I lived with them. It's just…"

"You don't want to get lost."

He nodded, feeling embarrassed.

Ezra was a calm rock in a turmoiled sea for Reed, patiently helping him unwind, then talking him through relaxation exercises. Tyler found he had no problem concentrating on the soft voice and changing shape went more and more smoothly, but whenever he tried to initiate the first change, the panic rose.

"It's okay to be afraid. You have to respect the Kiowata side. It's powerful, but it's not the enemy," Ezra told him.

And he related his own experiences to the new bonded. Tyler was amazed to hear how much Ezra had trusted Chris throughout their training sessions with the Agency, how he had handed over control to the Kiowata to get them out of a tricky situation, one that shouldn't have happened while they were running an obstacle course.

"You're still you, Tyler. No one can take that from you, except with a clipping or tagging. The moment the Kiowata calms down, you're in charge once more. To stay in charge throughout dangerous situations that would frighten the instinctual side, you have to train."

Concentrating, relaxing his mind, Tyler felt the change course through him and the Kiowata whinnied in joy.

Ezra smiled at him. "You're doing great, Tyler."

Suddenly something trickled along the bond and Tyler cocked his head, snorting in confusion. It didn't feel like Burt's usual touch, it was… disturbing, sharper than normal and…

He danced back, ears flattening to his head as he felt the pain. Not physical, not fresh, but so intense that if it was a memory, it was a very dark one.

"Tyler!" Ezra's voice snapped, bringing him around.

Wide gray eyes met intense green ones and he wasn't even aware of changing back.

"Burt," he whispered, then shivered as more emotions flooded him.

Clothes were thrust into his shaking hands and he dressed hurriedly. Tyler wasn't sure how he got to their shared quarters, only that Ezra was with him, radiating a calmness that soothed him gently. He palmed the door opener and hurried inside, Ezra on his heels. Their quarters were rather large and comfortable, consisting of two rooms that could easily be separated and be used as guest quarters for two visitors. Burt had fallen asleep on the couch, but it wasn't a good sleep. He lay on his back, face glistening with sweat, one hand twitching slightly. Otherwise he was still. No twisting and turning, no cries or wild eye-rolling. All the horror was in his mind and only there did he run and try to hide, get away from it all.

Nightmares, Tyler realized as another image flitted past. Really bad ones. The bond was still protecting him from the worst, but Burt was living through them live.

Someone touched him by one shoulder and Ezra's voice soothingly reached his ears. "Go to him. He needs you."

And Tyler went, without thinking about the other man's presence, without hesitation. He knelt next to the couch, one hand coming to rest on his partner's chest, the other cupping his cheek.

"Burt," he murmured, throwing his side of the bond wide open.

Tyler cringed under the onslaught of terror and despair, the pain that was nothing but a memory and had never been physical, the cry for help that had never been answered. Wading through it all, suffering it with his lover, he sent himself along the bond, calling for the man he knew was hiding in all that horror.

Eyes opened abruptly, looking around, trying to focus and remember where he was. Burt gasped softly, the sound barely carrying to Tyler who was next to him, and his heart still thundered in his chest.

Brown eyes finally caught on gray and Tyler smiled, wrapping himself around the shaky presence he had reached.

<Hey> he murmured.

<Tyler>

It was a gasp, a whisper, a prayer, and suddenly Tyler found himself with an armful of Burt Gummer. He held the taller man, felt him tremble so badly that he tightened his grip automatically.

He didn't hear or register Ezra leaving.

All his senses were wrapped around Burt, calming him, soothing him, trying to understand what had set him off.

<Burt> he murmured after some time, his lover's head buried against his shoulder, both of them lying on the couch in a tangle. He had actually no idea how he had ended up there. <What happened?>

<Bad dream> was the soft reply as his lover collected himself, drawing back slightly from their connection.

Unwilling to talk.

Tyler looked at the slightly shuttered eyes, accepting the refusal. When Burt was ready, he would listen. Instead he just leaned down and kissed him gently, without any intentions, and Burt answered the kiss. He cupped Tyler's head, their foreheads resting against each other, strong hands stroking over the smaller man's back. There was a need in Burt to touch, to have as much contact as possible, and Tyler simply gave.

No questions.

Just acceptance.

There was time later. For everything.

 

* * *

 

Burt lay awake in their shared bed, watching his lover and soul mate. After the nightmarish dreams of before, he was unwilling to go to sleep, and he didn't really feel all that tired. Unlike Tyler who was fast asleep. They had moved from the couch to the bed, Tyler constantly and reassuringly touching him, calming his frazzled nerves, and finally Burt had felt a kind of balance reassert itself. There had been no questions, no awkwardness, and Burt was thankful that his lover wasn't a nosey man when it came to Gummer's past. As much as he would love to open up completely, tell Tyler everything, he was also very much afraid of what the truth about himself would bring.

Tyler's wounds had closed, but scars had remained, mostly on his back and some around his neck. They were faint, but he saw them. Ropes and wires and shackles, whips and whatnot had branded his lover. Long fingers traced the most visible scar running across one shoulder and down the smooth back.

Burt had followed the arrest and imprisonment of the rogue breeder. Chris had kept him updated and while the trial would take a while, the man wouldn't be out of prison at all. He remained in custody until the trial and afterwards, he'd probably be away for a long time. Somehow the hatred he had felt towards these men before had evaporated under the presence of Tyler safely back at his side… and in his mind.

He needed this man. Tyler was his buffer to the outside. With him securely tugged in his mind, with the bond so tight and humming with life, Burt had no problem walking among other people. The telepath had found shields stronger than his own could ever have been. He had found Tyler, who had been the first person he had been able to touch without gloves.

Burt had no shields left. The man who had tortured him relentlessly after his capture on the last assignment had made sure of that. Every single one had been eradicated. Gummer had lived with the insanity of the real world until it had been too much, until he had come to Perfection where the background was no longer so overwhelming.

"I owe you," he murmured, caressing his lover's back. "Need you."

Tyler moved sleepily, curling closer.

And he loved him. Deeply.

Tyler's presence grew in his mind as the younger man reacted to his thoughts. Burt tried to pull away before he woke his partner, but a mumbled, "Don't," stopped him.

Tyler's arm came to rest over his waist and eyes cracked open, looking fuzzily at him. A lazy smile crossed his lips.

Burt brushed back some strands of hair, enjoying the feel of the longish waves.

"I didn't want to wake you."

"'S okay. I like waking up to you."

The warmth was back and Burt wondered how a grown man could feel so giddy over the simple words. He had spent so much time alone, hiding from the world, he had forgotten what closeness felt like.

He looked down into the open face with its trademark stubble adorning the lower half. He could read those open eyes like any book. His gaze fell on the faint scar on the left side of Tyler's neck and he touched it carefully, following the almost invisible path. In a few more weeks it would be gone, but the memories would stay of the proud paint Kiowata with those terrible wounds.

Tyler cupped a hand around his neck and pulled him down, their lips meeting in a soft kiss. The younger man insistently pressed against his older lover and Burt let him in, their tongues meeting in a leisurely dance.

<I love you> he whispered, using their bond with an amount of ease that stunned Burt again and again.

Gummer was a telepath and he was used to these abilities, but Tyler…

Tyler was just Tyler.

He wrapped himself around the bond, drawn to the other presence, feeling the vitality, the hunger for life, the adventurous spirit. All he had seen on the outside before.

Mine, he thought. My partner, my soul mate.

Tyler smiled up at him, clearly picking up on the possessive and loving thoughts. He pulled him in closer to kiss him, nibbling at the lower lip, while one hand wandered along the tall form.

An open invitation floated across their connection and Burt was hard pressed not to follow it.

 

* * *

 

It was an amazing sight and Burt had to remind himself not to ask again if this was real. The planet was small, but far away from the trade routes, and its position wasn't actually marked on any of the official maps. It had one moon and several sister planets, but none of them were inhabited. Actually, this was the only one humans could live on.

Wide prairie lands changed into mountain ranges where even in summer snow capped the highest of them. There was an endless forest stretching toward the horizon and a river ran by the ranch home Chris and Ezra had built here. It was sheltered and with the surrounding land a perfect home away from home. There was a huge barn but no stables, no corrals or fences. While it was effectively a ranch, nothing was bred here.

The ranch was self-sufficient and Ezra had stocked it enough to last for a ten-year period, Burt mused. The basement was constructed like a bunker and contained all basic food groups, as well as a nice assortment of specialties. With the vegetable garden and chickens Merryl kept, it wasn't like they were going to suffer from hunger.

Tyler sent amazement along the bond and he smiled at his lover and partner.

"Your offer is… generous," he finally addressed Chris who silently stood at his side.

"The planet's large enough. When Ezra and I finally come here to live, I doubt we'll constantly get into each other's way. Currently, there's only you, Merryl and several herds of Kiowata somewhere out there. Vin and Buck own another parcel, and the four of us might drop by for a short vacation now and then."

"Parcel?" Buck quoted. "Half the friggin' planet!"

"I see."

"There's a full surveillance system in the basement of the house. You can log into any of the satellites we launched and keep an eye on the planet, as well as on whoever approaches. Merryl's using it to keep track of her herds. Few ever come here," Chris explained. "The recently released Kiowata are still in the vicinity since two of the mares are about to give birth to their young, and they were human once. Merryl's here to see to it that everything runs smoothly."

"I'd be happy to help," Tyler offered.

Ezra smiled at him. "I think your help is appreciated. We called her before landing and she's on her way back. Should be here by nightfall. You can get to know each other then."

Burt looked at the huge ranch house with its adjoining barn. "I doubt we get into each other's way," he murmured.

He felt something from his lover, a kind of twitching, a strange kind of bouncy feeling that told him Tyler wanted to do something.

<I want to run> his lover whispered. <Ezra was right. The Kiowata wants to get out and run>

Now that he thought about it, Burt could feel the instinct, too. It was still controlled, but a part of him wanted to stretch his legs and just feel the wind whipping through his mane.

<Later> he promised.

"I still have my home on Perfection," he said out loud.

Chris nodded. "I was thinking we might go there in a few weeks. All of us. I can get Travis to have the Chimera make an errand run or something." He grinned cheekily and Burt felt and saw Tyler's shared amusement. "You pick up what you need, then we come back. I doubt McBain has people watching your farm. But we'll check beforehand."

Burt nodded slowly. "Sounds like a plan."

 

* * *

 

"So, yer the new addition, hm?"

Alert blue eyes looked at the man nearly two heads taller than her and Burt was impressed by the power behind that look. Merryl was at least fifteen years older than him, but looked far from frail. There was a steely gleam in her eyes and a hard set to her lips. Her blonde hair was shot through with a lot of gray. Lines marred a face Burt wouldn’t call beautiful but handsome, and she was dressed in work clothes.

"Affirmative," Burt answered.

Her eyes strayed to Tyler. "Yer like Ezra'n Chris?"

Tyler nodded, smiling his wide smile. "Right down to the Kiowata."

She nodded briskly. "I got some stew planned for tonight. Objections? No? Good." With that she turned and walked down the hallway.

Burt's eyebrows rose and he glanced at Chris. The blond chuckled.

"Merryl is unique, Burt. She's a good caretaker, she knows Kiowata like the back of her hand, and despite her sometimes brusque way, she's the best friend you can think of."

"If she likes you," Tyler added, grinning.

Ezra nodded, sharing the grin. "Don't worry about that. She already does."

Burt cocked an eyebrow.

"You got a dinner invitation."

"I see."

 

 

The Chimera left the next day. The evening had been pleasant and somehow, throughout stew and freshly baked bread, Tyler and Merryl had hit it off. They talked shop for the rest of the evening and well into the night, only wrapping up when Tyler almost fell asleep on his feet. Burt unceremoniously hauled him off to bed then.

Chris had promised to be back within the next two weeks and while Burt knew it wasn't actually a good-bye, he felt strangely at a loss for words when the men walked aboard the Agency ship. He had gotten used to them in such a short time and there had been no pain, no problems with their vicinity.

Tyler had embraced him when the ship had lifted off, pulling him close. The younger man didn't understand his role in Burt's life, the fact that he was his only shield, but on an instinctual level he realized that Burt truly needed him.

Now two Kiowata stood proudly on the grassy lands, ears pricked, eyes bright, attentive to every little change. Tyler looked whole and healthy, the injuries of the past healed up. He was about Ezra's Kiowata size, sturdy, and now well-muscled. It would take some more exercising to get back in his original shape. Burt himself was larger and a lot more slender in build. His coat was a silvery gray, the mane darker, almost black in places, as were the horns and lower legs, which appeared dusted in black. While he shared Chris's Kiowata size, he had the appearance of an Arabian horse. Slender, sinewy, elegant, and still powerful.

The paint Kiowata nuzzled his larger companion's neck playfully before whirling around on his hind legs, whinnying and storming away.

<C’mon, Burt, this is fun>

Burt resisted only a second before he felt the Kiowata in him push insistently - and then he followed his lover over the green land towards the line of trees in the distance.

Ezra had told them how exhilarating it was to run, to give the Kiowata free rein, and while Burt had never doubted the man's word, he hadn't really believed it either. Now, running, legs stretching, he felt the Kiowata's joy mix with his own, felt the freedom. It was like flying.

Tyler was ahead of him, mane and tail whipping, radiating such joy Burt was hard-pressed not to let the happiness pull him with it. They ran for some time, alternating in speed, jumping over fallen trees, small streams and once Tyler slip-slid down an incline with a burst of happiness that was like fireworks through their connection.

Youth, Burt mused, chuckling. Then again, he had just as much fun.

 <Look, a pond>

The paint Kiowata whinnied and all but jumped into the cool water until it was standing in it belly deep. Burt skidded to a halt on the shore, watching his younger lover wade through the pond. Ears flicking, he blew air out of his nostrils, torn between exasperation and laughter at the sight.

<Come on in, Burt, the water’s nice>

Tyler jumped, splashing water all over the gray Kiowata.

<I don’t think so> Burt shook the water out of his coat.

<You’re no fun>

Tyler came back to the shore, changing swiftly while in motion, and Burt let his eyes roam over the naked body of his lover. Little droplets of water were running down the lithe form, catching the sunlight, glittering. Tyler stretched out a hand and without really noticing Burt changed, too, leaning into the soft touch on his face. The bond hummed, the touch of human skin on his sent sparkles through Burt’s body and mind, but it wasn’t like any other human's touch. Not sharp daggers violently penetrating his unguarded mind, forcing a stream of unwanted pictures, emotions, a human’s entire history upon him; but a warm flow, a gentle tug at his mind, nothing but a reassurance. He could read Tyler like any other person if he wanted to, but he didn’t.

Burt had never seen a reason to pierce his lover’s mind, on the contrary. It had been refreshing and relaxing for him that Tyler seemed to hold a natural shield against such protrusions and, even more so, seemed to be able expand those shields on him. He had called his lover his shield, his sanity, his catalyst once and oh if it wasn’t the truth. Being with Tyler meant he was able to walk through a crowd without the background noise that would inevitably turn into a screaming, howling and screeching maelstrom that would overwhelm in eventually.

It had happened before.

There was a soft caress coming over the bond when Tyler sensed the distress that always accompanied with the memories, and Burt relaxed into the warm cover that was his lover’s mind.

<I’m here>

It weren’t words exactly, more a feeling of support and comfort and love.

<I know>

Tyler’s cool body pressed against his when the younger man stepped closer, pulling him in for a kiss. Joy and want, love and desire flooded the bond, making Burt almost moan in response – and Tyler hadn’t even touched him so far, was merely running his fingertips over his neck and his lips over his, coaxing them to open up under him. Tyler pressed a leg between Burt’s thighs, spreading them while running his hands over his back and sides, slipping one between their body and closing his fingers around his hardness. The sensation of the slim body pressing against his own, the teasing fingers caressing him, hot lips searching all the soft spots and the hum of the bond was almost too much at the moment, and Burt carefully pushed his lover back.

<Burt?>

Tyler looked at him from those heated gray eyes, breathing hard already, his arousal only too evident.

<Not here>

<Want you>

<I want you, too, but this is the first time we’d really be together and I don’t want to make out on the hard ground like some teenagers, Tyler>

<Burt …>

There was so much want and need in Tyler's voice that it sent shivers down Burt's spine. He closed the distance between them, cupping the younger man’s face.

<You deserve better. I want to make it better for you>

<I just want to be with you, I…>

<No. Home, Tyler. I don’t want to just fuck you, and here and now that would be it. I want to make love to you. I want to hold you, feel you … >

<Then what are you waiting for?> his lover called.

Burt had to chuckle when suddenly a painted Kiowata snorted into his face. Tyler whinnied softly and turned.

<C’mon, I ain’t getting any younger here>

Burt shook his head and had to hurry to  follow his lover – because Tyler was damn fast.

 

*

 

The moment he arrived at the ranch Tyler was already waiting for him. Standing on the porch in the reddish light of the sinking sun, nude as on the day he was born, he looked like a bronze statue.

Burt stood in awe as his feelings for this man threatened to overwhelm him. God, how he loved him.

<I love you, too, Burt>

There was so much tenderness in this words when the bond reacted, Burt had to swallow. Tyler stretched our his hand, invitation clear in both body language and emotions he found himself wrapped in, Burt couldn’t help it. The first kiss was gentle, sweet and soft, full of the love they felt for one another. But then Tyler moaned softly, pressing his body against his, so much want and need for him flaring over the bond.

<Bedroom’s upstairs>

<Oh yeah …>

 

 

Laying Tyler on the large bed, Burt took his time to just look at his younger lover. He noted the faint scars that told about his time as a Kiowata, but Tyler had regained his strength. The play of muscles under the tanned skin spoke of health. And right now he was rather impatient, letting Burt know in no uncertain pictures what he wanted.

<I want you, Burt. I want to feel you inside me>

And Burt sank down on the bed at his lover's side. Kissing and nibbling down the lithe body, taking from every moan and whisper, every twitch and shiver where to touch gently and where to remain. Tyler was a vocal lover, that he had already noticed, and he wasn’t the slightest bit shy in letting him know exactly what he wanted. Tyler pushed a small bottle into his hand, rolling onto his side.

<Now, Burt>

He couldn't hold back himself, his lover's emotions pushing along the bond, driving him on, adding to his own arousal. He had wanted this man ever since he had so hopelessly fallen for him.

Preparation was thorough and loving, Tyler moving against his fingers, eyes closed, panting and gasping softly. So responsive, so enthralling, Burt found himself swept away by the sheer sight.

And then he finally slid inside his lover for the first time, groaning with the reflected sensation that came back over the wide open bond, the emotions that were shown in the gray eyes. Tyler moaned and writhed, trembled and bucked, and his thoughts were definitely no longer to be called coherent. All but one.

<I love you, Burt … >

Burt wrapped his arm around the slim waist and pulled Tyler closer, increasing his pace when he felt the younger man getting closer. Tyler cried out softly, arching and froze for a second before he moaned deep in his throat, clutching Burt’s hands as he was pushed over the edge. The pure joy he was feeling pulled at the bond and Burt followed only seconds later.

 

* * *

 

"Tyler?" Burt said softly.

"Hm?" came the lazy reply as his lover drew slow patterns over his chest.

Burt stopped the playful hand and Tyler looked at him, the expression in the open gray eyes changing the moment he picked up on Burt's mood.

<Burt?>

"I need to tell you something," Gummer said carefully, unsure how to proceed. "Tyler… I need you to know something about me. I… I'm different."

"I know that, Burt."

He raised his gaze, then smiled sadly. "No, you don't. I'm a telepath."

Tyler frowned. "Telepath?"

"I can hear other people's thoughts."

There, he had said it. Burt waited for the reaction he knew was to follow. The fear, the wariness, the distrust. Nothing of the like occurred. The bond was a calmly fluctuating connection, filled with warmth and Tyler's gentle presence.

"Oh." A slow smile spread over the younger man's face. "I know what you mean. There was someone like you in another clan on Perfection."

Burt was slightly stunned, then something washed over him. It was sadness mixed with understanding.

"Her name was Alita and I only met her once, when I was still a child. I didn't know what she was back then, but when I grew up, her story was told to others. She said she couldn't take the voices any more one day, and she left. She went out into the desert because there was nothing but Graboids and the occasional Kiowata out there. No one knows what happened, but, well…"

She most likely died, Burt finished the sentence in his thoughts.

"I know what she felt, Tyler," he replied. <I felt the same>

"Is that why you came to Perfection?"

"Yes, in a way. I needed to get away from people." He sighed. "I… couldn't shield any more. Everything went through."

"Why?"

He looked into those expressive eyes and was tempted to let his lover in, share the memories, but he couldn't put the younger man through the horror that was his past.

"I lost them," Burt said evasively.

Tyler's mind-touch was accepting, tender, not the least bit pushy. It was what had made this man so special from the start, Gummer thought. Tyler didn't need to know more, he accepted what Burt was willing to give.

And Burt surprised him by opening up.

<You already know that I was an Agent. I was a Commander, Chris and Buck were in my team. We had one of the highest solving rates, and I think part of it was because of my telepathic abilities, which were rather latent at that time. Nothing more than a flash every now and then, an image …>

<Except when you were touching people?> Tyler queried.

Burt nodded, gathering him closer. <Yes. When I did that … sometimes the entire history of that person flooded me>

Gray eyes regarded him with understanding. <But you were still able to control it?>

<No. I never was able to control it. I simply didn’t touch when I could avoid it. If not…>

<You were wearing those gloves>

<Yes>

There was a minute of silence.

<You touched me>

<Yes…>

Burt remembered the first time he had touched Tyler without his gloves. It had been a simple accident. He had tended to a Kiowata, brushed its coat when something had startled the animal and it had jumped, shoving him into the process. He would have fallen hadn’t it been for a strong arm holding him. He had grabbed it without thinking:

 _//The strong arm shot forward, a hand wrapping around his forearm, fingers touching his bare skin. He closed his hand around the helping arm while he stumbled back, almost landing flat on his back. The warm presence that had been humming in the background of his mind spiked to life, sending a warm and fuzzy feeling through his body, like a tingling starting at his arm and …_

 _His arm._

 _Direct skin contact._

 _There was no flare of pain, no white hot poke shooting agony through his head, no flood of images or emotions._

 _Just a feeling of – rightness._

 _Burt stared into a pair of worried gray eyes. He didn’t know that at this very moment his wonder, his astonishment was written clearly all over his face._

 _“You okay there, Burt?”_

 _“Yeah, I’m – fine.” //_

<So that was the reason you stared at me the way you did> Tyler mused, one finger drawing calming patterns on his lover's skin.

<Yes. It simply didn’t hurt, on the contrary> Burt closed his eyes. <You were the first physical contact I had in a decade that didn't blaze across my mind like a fire storm, that didn't hurt>

<How did you lose your shields?>

Burt paused for a moment, feeling the memories return, and Tyler snuggled closer, running a reassuring hand over his body.

<You don’t have to tell me>

<Yes, I have to. You've got a right to know>

His partner wrapped more of himself around the bond, a security that Burt had never felt before wafting around him like a calm sea. His shield. Every since the first day they had met, he thought fondly, lovingly.

<We were on an assignment, and… let’s just say I got caught. I don’t know what happened or how it happened, I can’t remember anything apart from the … the pain. And the voices, asking me questions; more pain when I refused to answer. I don’t even remember the questions, whether or not I told them anything or how long I was there, in that cell. When I was found I was… they had broken me, Tyler>

Burt's mind voice wavered and Tyler silently waited for him to compose himself. No words were lost; he was simply there.

<My shields were completely gone, my telepathy fully evolved. I started hearing voices in my head; the thoughts and histories and emotions of every person around me. I went psychotic, needed medication to calm me down. When I was halfway myself again, I quit. My wife … >

<You're married?>

Of course, Burt thought sadly. His lover didn't know. He had never told him, Tyler had never asked.

<Not anymore> he answered. <She left. I withdrew from the world and… damn, I’m not proud of what I did>

Tyler was a gentle soothing touch on his mind.

<The only thing that helped a bit was the medication. When that ran out I… I used whatever I could. I was addicted, Tyler, to drugs and alcohol, the only things that dulled those damned voices>

Tyler listened to him, no judgment in his presence. He had never stopped his caress and Burt felt warm and relaxed, despite the dark memories, despite the horrors of the past, and despite the shame.

<That’s when you came to Perfection?> the younger man murmured after a while.

<Yes. In a more sober moment I realized I couldn’t go on like that anymore, so it was either … swallow a gun or swallow my pride. Hell, I hadn’t any of that left, so I came to Perfection and did a cold withdrawal on my own. I could have died, Tyler. Cold withdrawal… it means I went from a hundred to zero… sometimes your body can't take that. I saw it as my only way out>

Tyler pushed himself up a little and gazed down into the dark eyes that held so much truth and pain and relived embarrassment of his own past. And Burt knew he could clearly see the shame Gummer felt concerning his addiction, an addiction that kept him from drinking or taking chemical drugs now.

"I'm glad you didn't use a gun," he said out loud, his voice soft and like honey to Burt's ears. "I'm glad you followed your path to Perfection."

Burt smiled wryly. "Back then I thought it was the worst decision I had ever made." <I lived in a ramshackle hole of a place> he went on, using the bond. <No electric lights, no running water, just me and the bed and the pain of withdrawal. Sometimes I had hallucinations. Found out later that the giant worms were actually rather real>

Tyler grinned. <You were visited by Graboids?>

<Yeah. They just came by, like trying to find out who or what I am. Then came your people. Harlow and Nensi. I think I owe them more than just my life. They helped me get myself back together and it was that moment I realized that while I could feel their mental presence, they didn't hurt me. They were like a background noise, a waterfall, so very gentle>

And Tyler was his calm lake, his soothing touch, his defense against the agony the world held for an unprotected telepath.

<I learned from them and finally got myself together enough to start on the house. Took me over a year to build. And then you came…>

Burt cupped one unshaven cheek and gazed at his partner.

"Tyler, I called you my shield, my sanity and my catalyst… my buffer…" Burt inhaled deeply. "You are all that to me. Everything that stands between me and the pain… the insanity."

And if Tyler ever left him, he would be easy prey. If Tyler decided to use this power he had, the absolute power, Burt would be helpless against him. He held all the strings in his hands, he was in control.

Tyler's eyes widened as realization hit him, as his lover's thoughts trickled through their connection. Burt steadily met the incredulous gaze, then suddenly Tyler's mind-touch was back, wrapping itself around his scarred mind, holding him tight.

<No!> he breathed, stroking over Burt's mind and soul, physically wrapping himself around the taller man. <I'd never… Burt… I wouldn't! We're one, we're bonded>

Burt held the slender form, burying his face in the longish hair.

<I'd never hurt you> Tyler whispered. <Never. I love you, Burt Gummer>

Burt sank back, the younger man in his arms, a living, breathing blanket, a warm shield. Tyler was truly everything to him, body, mind and soul, and he could call himself lucky to have him.

<We're bonded> he murmured.

And Reed wasn't a malicious person. He was so incredibly open to others, helpful, enthusiastic, a true people person. The soul bond was sacred to his people, it was the most anyone could ever hope for, and whoever the other person was, he or she was a missing part of oneself. Burt wondered what would happen if the bonded pair, while fitting each other, couldn't stand one another's presence. What if he and Tyler hadn't hit it off from the start? What if they had hated each other's guts? What if Tyler had decided Burt's interest in him was foul or wrong? Had anyone ever heard of such an occurrence?

His lover chuckled as he picked up on his open thoughts. <Actually, no> he answered. <Not all pairings have a sexual level to them too, either. Each one is different>

"I like this one," Burt murmured and drew the younger man into a kiss.

<Oh yeah…>

 

* * *

 

They had been on the planet for two weeks now, both adjusting to their new life and while it was so very different from a desert life, Tyler had no trouble with it. He was fascinated by the heavy rainfall of one day and Burt just stood with him on the covered porch, watching the droplets beating down on the grassy lands.

They saw little of Merryl. She spent most of her time working. She kept track of the Kiowata herds, had numbered and named each member, made pictures of them, and generally cared a lot about the sentient equines. None of them came too close to the ranch, except once when Sary was about to give birth. While it was the former human woman's choice whether to be among her own or with the three humans at the ranch, she had picked the ranch like all the other females before her. Merryl would stay out of the way of the actual birthing, but she was there in case something went wrong. The transformed women were unaccustomed to this form of giving birth and while instinct helped, a knowledgeable assistant was like a safety net.

Burt and Tyler had started to experiment with the bond, as well as with the shields. For now Reed needed to be close to the older man to make it function perfectly. With distance, the shield around Burt's mind grew more porous and other minds leaked inside. Since there was only Merryl, it was currently not very painful should Tyler be too far away. Still, they had to work on that and Burt had started to draw up a training plan, much to his lover's amusement.

 

 

This evening the three sat together in the sprawling living room of the main house. Tyler and Burt had moved into the small guest house – which was still large enough to get lost in. Merryl was making her daily notes while the two men caught up on the news. Even out here, at the end of the known trade routes, Ezra Standish had managed to get a decent news feed. It was amazing.

Tyler became aware of a pair of eyes studying him and he looked at the older woman, eyebrows rising questioningly.

"When's yer birthday, Tyler?" Merryl asked calmly.

Burt, who lay comfortably in his lover's embrace, turned, eyes narrowing. Tyler just frowned in confusion.

"Birthday?" he echoed. "What's a birthday?"

Merryl shot him a surprised look. "Ya don't celebrate birthdays? It's the day y'were born."

"No, we don't. Why should we? It's nothing special."

"For us it is," the woman told him.

More confusion hit him. "Why?"

"You were born inta this world."

"Because of my mother," Tyler added. "She should be honored, not the child."

Merryl chuckled. "Commendable opinion, but that's what an old tradition called 'mother's day' is for. Some still celebrate it."

"Mother's day is not the same as birthday?"

"No. So yer people don't celebrate the day ya were born?"

Tyler shook his head. "No."

"How d'you tell yer a year older then?" Merry wanted to know, now clearly interested.

"Seasons. My clan traveled from one place to the next, following the seasons." For Tyler, it was simple.

"Then how old are ya?"

"I traveled for twenty seasons."

Burt's mouth fell open and shock coursed over the bond. <You're twenty?!>

 

 

Burt didn't know what to say or feel. If Tyler was twenty…

Damn, I'm robbing the cradle, he thought. He was just a kid!

<I'm no child!> his lover protested. <I'm of age>

For the Par, yes. For him… Shit, Tyler could be his son!

"Twenty seasons," Merryl repeated. "So… how many human years would that be?"

Burt's mind stuttered to a halt. Good question! Okay, Perfection wasn't Earth and years were still Earth years, even in the depth of space. Translating Perfection's turns around its sun into Earth years… that got him… where?

Merryl played with her powerful notebook and tilted her head. "Twenty nine human years?"

Tyler shrugged. "I've got no idea. I never counted my age like that."

Twenty-nine. Much better than twenty… Burt thought, relief spreading through him.

"So ya'll be celebrating yer thirtieth sometime soon," she remarked with a smile.

Another shrug. "So…?"

"For some humans, a round birthday's worthy of a huge celebration. Like the day ya come of age in our culture."

Burt felt Tyler's amusement at the thought.

<So, what's your wish for your thirtieth?> he asked.

<Burt, I don't even know what your tradition is for!> Tyler explained, slightly exasperated. <Why would I want anything from you?> He wrapped himself more around his lover. <And I already got something from you> he murmured. <You>

Burt leaned into the tender caress.

"I doubt I can adopt this tradition," Tyler said out loud, just so Merryl wouldn't get stupid ideas, too.

She nodded. "That's okay." Her sharp eyes fell on Burt, who hadn't moved from his comfortable position. "So, what about yerself?"

"I'm too old to celebrate. It's more like a reminder of not getting any younger," Gummer muttered gruffly.

"Ya reach my age," Merryl retorted. "then we talk 'bout not getting' any younger."

<Fifteen years of age difference don't let you think about it as a day of celebration> Burt muttered.

<Merryl's fifteen years older than you?> Tyler chuckled.

<No, you ass. We are that much apart. Twice as much as Ezra and Chris>

<And the problem is…?> Tyler wanted to know, honestly confused.

Burt looked into the gentle, gray eyes. <I'm not getting younger>

<I'd be freaked if you would> was the teasing reply. <I told you before, age is a state of mind. We are what we are, and we are together>

Merryl getting up startled Burt out of his thoughts and she smiled at them. "I'm calling it a night, boys. Got an early start tomorrow." And with that she was off.

Burt watched her go, then became aware of the light caress of fingers through his thinning hair. Tyler dropped a little kiss on his temple and he twisted around, catching those familiar lips.

<You've got strange customs> Tyler murmured as they kissed leisurely.

Burt blanketed the younger man, proceeding to deepen the contact. <I like yours better. Not counting time>

<It has no use> Tyler answered, a breathy moan on his lips as Burt nibbled at a soft spot on his neck.

Warm hands slid under his shirt, teasing.

<Relocate> Burt whispered. <Now…>

The lights in the living room went dark as the two men left, heading for their bedroom, which was soon filled by the soft noises of their lovemaking.

 

* * *

 

Perfection was, in effect, a dust ball. A tiny planet, mostly covered in endless deserts, dry plains and tall mountain ranges, it had no larger oceans and only a few rivers ran above ground. The mountains were by far the greenest regions. At the foot of the ranges were low forests with withered looking trees.

Burt had lived in the middle of a massive box canyon. The farm was small but functional, with a main house that easily housed two people, maybe three, a barn, a shed, and what looked like a vegetable garden.

Vin landed the Chimera some distance away, dust whirling up as the large ship settled down. Only four Agents had accompanied Burt and Tyler to Perfection. Nathan, Josiah and JD had remained at Four Corners.

Burt walked down the lowered ramp, inhaling the dry, warm air of a place he had lived in for over a decade. Something inside of him clenched with the knowledge that he wouldn't return. It was too dangerous. Maybe when everything had blown over, when McBain had forgotten about him, when the ruse of their 'deaths' was nothing but a dusty old file in a forgotten subfolder… But until then he didn't want to risk someone finding him. While Perfection was large enough to hide, he didn't want to spend the rest of his days in some hidey-hole underground, thinking that the moment he stepped outside he would be discovered. He wanted a life with Tyler, a safe, normal life. Well, as normal as a telepath could live.

Tyler brushed a hand over the small of his back. "We'll be fine," he said softly.

Yes, sure.

He looked at his lover and partner, searching for any regrets the younger man felt. Ten years were nothing compared to a lifetime. Tyler had been born and raised here; his family was still out there. His clan. Reed just smiled at him, warm eyes reflecting no sorrow or pain.

<This is how it's supposed to be, Burt> he sent.

Even after all this time knowing the Par Hija, Gummer still had trouble accepting their easy-going nature when it came to partings.

Turning to where Chris was patiently waiting for him, he nodded at the blond, then walked over to the farm house. The door was unlocked and the place was empty, dark and silent. Opening the blinds, the sun streaked into the large living room, lighting up the rustic interior.

It was a matter of hours to pick out what he wanted to take with him and the four men got packing.

"Got company," Vin announced as they loaded some of Burt's belongings onto a cart to get into the ship and Burt straightened from his work.

His eyes narrowed as he discovered three riders, all on Kiowata back, then a smile graced his features. Tyler joined him, joy radiating through the bond.

His people.

Burt nodded at Nensi as she slid off the dark brown Kiowata and she returned the gesture. Tyler embraced the second woman in the group. Her name was Jodi and she was something of a trader among her people. There was nothing she wouldn't trade, buy or sell, and she could get you everything everywhere. She called it talent. The third was a man, long hair falling past his shoulders, a square face lit up with a wide smile as he looked at Burt.

"I see you returned," Harlow greeted him.

"Only for a short while," Burt replied, aware of the Chimera team patiently waiting in the background.

"You joined his clan?" Nensi asked Tyler, who seemed to glow in the presence of his people.

"Kinda."

"Your bond feels healthy," the older woman continued, giving the two men an appraising eyes, then she glanced at Chris and Ezra, nodding at them in greeting and recognition of another bonded pair. "You've found what you were looking for."

Burt had never been a man for the spiritual side of life, but he understood what she was telling him.

"I wish we could stay," he told her honestly.

"Your fate will lead you where you have to be, Burt," was the simple reply. "You and Tyler are one. I knew that since the day you met. You will walk your path together now, never be alone, and your clan will take good care of ours."

Gummer only nodded.

The clan had waited for them to return, he realized. They had settled down somewhere, watching the farm, and he wondered how long they would have continued to keep an eye on the abandoned house if they hadn't come back today.

<A while> Tyler answered. <Nensi knew we'd be back>

There was a sudden, nervous whinny from the Kiowata and the three animals pawed at the hard-packed desert, then whinnied again. Harlow squinted at the horizon.

"One's coming," he suddenly said.

"One what?" Chris spoke up, the first thing he had said since the arrival of the three nomads.

"Graboid," Tyler explained, seconds before the ground started to tremble slightly.

From one moment to the next something shot out of the ground, a long, thick tentacle with what seemed like a small mouth attached to one end. Four spiky looking growths were around the head, which hissed once, then the tentacle wrapped itself neatly around Burt's leg.

Gummer froze, staring at the muscular appendage holding him in place. The Kiowata snorted loudly, clearly not at ease with the newcomer, but their riders calmed them down, giving Burt room.

The Kiowata in Gummer was prancing nervously itself, very much uneasy about this predator holding on to it, even if the Graboid wouldn't touch the Par. They lived in symbiosis, respecting the two-legged nomads and the one human being who shared their territory with them. Burt felt the same suppressed panic from Tyler, whose Kiowata side told him to make a run for it, while the rational one calmly explained that they were safe.

"What…?!" Chris exclaimed, reaching for his gun, but Harlow raised a hand.

"Burt is in no danger, Bonded. The Graboid isn't hunting." The Par looked at Gummer and nodded. "He has been around since you left. I think he missed you."

Burt recognized the pale tentacle, one of three tongues of the subterranean species known as Graboids. It was an albino worm, one who had apparently adopted him since the day he had been born in this box canyon valley.

Missed me, hm? he thought. Missed you like a sore tooth, old friend.

He heard Tyler's chuckle along the bond and the worm gave a deep rumbling snort. Suddenly the ground broke and the massive head of the blind creature broke through, armored jaws revealing the wide mouth. It trumpeted once, then rested its weight on the ground, blowing air and sand. Lighter colored than the normal Graboid, a pale, almost whitish brown, it was still an impressive sight. Ten meters long, part of the Graboid now lay revealed to the gaping Agents, still holding on to Burt. A second tongue wrapped itself around his arm and Burt felt the gentle contact of a sentient mind, like the Kiowata.

No pain.

He had never felt pain with any of those sentients, and he touched the small head currently resting against his elbow.

The Graboid rumbled again, snorted, then gave a whine and pulled back his tentacles.

<He came to say good-bye> Tyler sent, awed.

"You, my friend, have a gift," Harlow said, meeting Burt's gaze with a smile. "They rarely come out of the ground if not for feeding."

Burt wondered if Graboid could pine, if this one would really miss him or just accept the fact that he was leaving like the Par clan did. Then again, why did he care?

<Because you're a big, old softy> Tyler teased him gently.

<I resent the old part> Burt growled.

The Graboid suddenly slid back into the ground, puffing air up the surface hole, then trumpeted again. The tell-tale tremors of the large creature's movement faded and they were alone. Burt felt a strange, unaccustomed lump forming in his throat.

Tyler wrapped his presence around him, sending support and understanding.

"We have to go," Nensi suddenly said. "The clan's waiting."

Tyler clasped arms with Harlow, then hugged the other man. "It was good seeing you."

"One day, our paths will cross again," was the simple reply.

Burt just nodded at them again, wary of touching the Par even though he had Tyler with him as his shield. He had yet to gain the confidence Tyler felt that it would be okay to have human contact other than his partner. Nensi smiled at him.

"You have started to heal," was all she said, startling him, then added, "Your pain was visible from the day we met, Burt Gummer. When we cross paths again, you will be whole."

And with that she swung herself onto the back of the brown Kiowata. The three Par turned their mounts around and left, not in any hurry, and Burt wrapped an arm around Tyler as they watched them go. Chris and Ezra stepped forward, silent, waiting.

Burt inhaled deeply and squared his shoulders. "Let's finish up here," he decided, voice steady, then walked past the others.

He was aware of Tyler's presence, as always a soothing blanket around his mind, and he was grateful for his lover's support. This was harder than he would have thought; a lot harder. The planet had been his home for so long.

They might return one day, but for now, this chapter in his life had closed – and he would share his new one with his soul mate.


End file.
